1 


REGULATIONS 


01     T1IK 


likrarj  of  tljt  /rttntl-strttt  Sacietij 


IN    BOSTON. 


Library  is  open  to  the  use  of  all  (lie  Members  of 
tin-  Federal-street  Congregational  Society. 


ii. 


kg  are  delivered  from  the  Library  at  the  close  of 

th«-  morning  servii n  every  Sunday.     Books  must  be 

returned  at  the  same  time. 


in. 
1      ii  person  may  take  two  volumes  at  a  time 

IV. 

N     volume  can  be  taken  from  the  Library,  until   its 
title,  together  with  the  name  and   residence  of  the  person 
on  whose  account  it  is  taken,  has  been  recorded  in  a  book 
r  the  purpose 

v. 

'     >\"    and    duodecimo    volumes    may    bo    kept   four 
other  buck-,  only  two  weeks. 


I        book jy as  placed  in  tin-  Library, 
No? 


■ 


J%y?rz 


1 


•a9MHHeiaiatMM>Mi>Midt 


Dr.  Chauncjfs 


* J   V   £ 


SERMONS. 


. 


"Breaking  of  Bread,"  in  remembrance  of  the 
dying  Love  of  Chrift,  a  Gofpel   inftitution. 

FIVE 

SERMONS. 

In  which  the  inftitution  is  explained  ;  a  general  obfer- 
vance  of  it  recommended  and  enforced  ;  objections 
anfwered  ;  and  fuch  Difficulties,  Doubts,  and  Fears, 
relative  to  it,  particularly  mentioned,  and  removed, 
which  have  too  commonly  difcouraged  fome  from  an 
attendance  at  it,  and  proved  to  others  a  fource  of  dif- 
comfort,  in  the  regard  they  have  endeavoured  to  pay 
to  it. 

B  Y 

Charles  Chauncy,  D.  D. 

Pastor  of    the  first  Church  of  Christ    ijk 
Boston. 


BOSTON: 

Panted   by    D.  Knefland,    in    Queen-Street, 
for  Thomas    Leverett,  in  Corn-hill, 

M,dcc,lxxii? 


4*4*4*4*  4*  4*  4*  4*  4*4*  4*  4*  4*  4*  4*4*4*4*  4*  4*  4*4^  4*  4*  4* 

*    *   '  *    *    *    ♦ 

aid,  >-'Z  |V|<.  A I A  a|<,  j  l>.  fct*  J.L-  vL.  l\j.  \\j.  ^1^,  aU.  .h  4i  aJx  ^Ix^L.  ■>■?■«■  >■'■■■  >L  kL  iL  Mi  ilA 


"  Breaking  of  Bread/'  in  remem- 
brance of  Christ,  a  Gofpel- 
duty. 


A6ts.    II.    42. 

*c  /f/zi  /^   continued  fiedfafily — in  breaking  of 
"  Bread." 


WM  H  E  preceeding  verfes  contain  an 
%  T  Jt  account  of  the  fermon,  which  the 
Mrt  apoftle  Peter  preached  to  a  great  au- 
ditory of  Jews,  by  defcent,  or  pro- 
felitifm,  collected  at  Jerufalem  on  the  day  of 
Pentecoft.  By  means  of  this  fermon,  multi- 
tudes had  awakened  in  them  fuch  a  fenfe  of  fin 

and 


6         Sacramental  "breaking  of  Bread" 

and  guilt,  as,  in  good  earned,  to  make  that 
inquiry  "men  and  brethren  what  fhall  we 
do"  ?  Upon  which,  the  apoftle  Peter  directed 
them  to  "  repent,  and  be  baptifed  every  one  of 
them  in  the  name  of  Jefus  Chrift  for  the  re- 
miflion  of  fins."  We  are  then  told,  that  no 
Je6  than  "  three  thoufand  perfons  gladly  re- 
ceived the  word,  were  baptifed,  and  added  to 
the  number  of  difciples".  lc  follows,  in  the 
words  of  my  text,  that  they  "  continued  fted: 
faftly — in  breaking  of  bread." 

The  u  bread"  which  they  are  faid  to 
"  break"  undoubtedly  means  the  ficramental 
bread,  that  bread  which  is  an  inftituted  fign  or 
fymbol,  of  the  "  body  of  Chrift  which  was 
broken  for  us."  Some  indeed  fcem  to  think 
it  was  only  common  bread  j  buc  to  me  it  ap- 
pears flrange,  they  mould  give  it  this  fenfe. 
It  is  true,  "  the  bread"  thefe  chriftians  are  fpo- 
ken  of,  ver.  46,  as  "  daily  breaking  from  houfe 
to  houfe,"  may  mean  common  bread  ;  for  it  is 
joined  with  their  "  eating  meat"  for  their  bodi- 
ly refrefhment.  And}  if  it  is  natural,  from  the 
things  con-joined  in  this  verfe,  to  underftand  by 
the  "  bread  they  brake,"  common  bread  ;  it  is 
equally  natural,  in  the  verfe  we  are  upon,  to 
underftand  the  fame  phrafe  in  a  different  fenfe; 

not  as  meaning  common,  but  facramental  bread. 

For 


a    Chriftian    Duty.  7 

For  the  other  actions  here  mentioned  are  facred 
ones.  And  as  this  of  "breaking  bread"  is  join- 
ed with  a  "  continuance  in  the  apoftle's  doc- 
trine and  prayers,"  which  are  inftances  of  com- 
munion in  "  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom 
of  God,  and  of  Jefus  Chrift/'  it  would  be  un. 
reafonable  to  interpret  it  as  fignifying,  in  this 
place,  nothing  more  than  that  "  breaking  of 
bread"  which  is  common  and  ordinary  :  Efpe. 
cially  if  it  be  remembered,  that  "  breaking  of 
bread,"  meaning  hereby  celebrating  the 
Lord's-S  upper,  was  a  religious  exercife,  in 
which  chriftians,  in  apollolic  times,  joined  to- 
gether every  Lord's  day,  with  like  fteadinefs  as 
in  their  attendance  on  the  word  preached,  or 
prayer. 

I  t  is  accordingly  not  only  faid,  in  my  text, 
that  they  ««  break  bread"  \  but  that  they  "  fted- 
faftly  continued"  to  do  fo.  The  meaning  is, 
it  was  a  conftant  part  of  their  public  worfhip, 
one  of  their  ftated  religious  exerciies,  a  duty 
which  they  went  on  in  the  practice  of ;  perfc- 
vering  therein  with  the  fame  fteadinefs  with 
which  they  obferved  the  other  inftituted  fer- 
yices  of  piety.  * 

From 

*  As  u  breaking  of  bread"   in  apoftolic  times,  was  oner 
g€  the  known,  chriftian  cxercifes  on  JLordVDays,  it  may 

fce 


8  Sacramental  "  breaking  of  Bread*9 

From  the  words,  as  they  have  been  explain- 
ed, 1  am  obvioufly  led  to  urge  upon  chriftian 
profefibrs  the  duty  of  "  breaking  bread"  at  the 
Lord's  table  ;  and  this  I  (hall  the  more  readily 
engage  in,  as  ic  is  a  duty,   to  whatever  caufe  it 

may 

be  aflced,  is  not  this  a  duty  now  as  truly  as  it  was  then  ? 
And  are  not  chriftian  Churches  to  blame,  that  they  do  not 
"break  bread"  every  Lord's-day,  in  remembrance  of  their 
Lord?  In  anfwer  hereto,  it  is  readily  allowed,  that  on  Lord's- 
days,  it  was  the  practice  of  chriftians,in  the  age  of  the  apoftles, 
to  "  break  bread", as  well  as  to  attend  on  other  parts  of  gofpel 
worlhip.     But  I  dare  not  venture  to  fay,  it  will  follow  from 
hence,  that  chriftian  churches  are  all  bound  to  do  as  they  did* 
A  diftinction  ought  always  to  be  made  betwixt  that  which  is 
cjfcntial,  and  that  which  is  circumflantial,  in  any  article  of 
duty.     To   "break  bread"  in   remembrance   of  Chrift,  is 
tjfenttally  a  chriftian  duty  ;  the  fpecial  frequency  of  doing 
this  is  a  circumftance  only,  which  it  may  be   proper  ihould 
be  varied,   according    to   the  ftate  of  chriftian  churches. 
Our  Lord  has  fajd,  **  This  do  in  remembrance  of  me"  ; 
but  neither  he,  nor  any  of  his   apoftles,  have  faid,  this  do 
tvery  Lord's-dsy.     The  practice  of  chriftian  churches  in 
the  days  of  the  apoftles,  efpecially  with  them  joining  in  it, 
is,  it  is  acknowledged,  a  weighty  confederation,  and  every 
way  fufRcien*  to  put  it  beyond  all  doubt,   that  the  fupper 
of  the  Lord   ought  to  be  attended  with  frequency  ;  and 
thofe  churches  : -re  herefrom  juftly,  and  ftrongly  rebuked, 
who  "  break   Bread"   not  oftener    than  once,  or  twice,  or 
thrice,  in  a  whole  year.     But  to  argue   from  this  practice 
of  the    primitive    chriftians,  that  it  is    sm  indifp enable 
duty  to  have  the   facramentaJ  fupper  every  LordVday^ 
scay  be  carrying  the  argument  beyond  which  it  will  fairly, 
®r  juftly,  bear.     Perhaps,  no  practice  of  any  church,  or  of 

any 


a  Christian   Duty.  9 

may  be  owing,  that  is  greatly  negle&ed  in  thefe 
days.  Multitudes  of  thofe  who  call  themfelves 
chriftians,  inftead  of  celebrating  the  facramental 
fupper,  go  from  it  as  though  they  had  no  con- 
cern in  it,  or  as  if  it  were  a  trifling  inftitution, 
not  worth  their  regard.  The  neglect  of  "eating 
bread,  and  drinking  wine,"  in  remembrance  of 
him  who  died  for  our  (ins,  is  indeed  grown  a 
general  fault,  and  juftly  chargeable  upon  bap- 

B  tifed 

any  apoftle,  or  of  all  the  apoftles  united,   feparate  from  a 
divine  command,  direct  or  implicit,  is   absolutely   binding 
upon  any  fociety  of  chriftians  whatever.     It  may  be  of 
great  fervice  in  guiding  their  conduct,  but  not  certainly  ob- 
ligatory in  point  of  confeience  ;  to  be   fure,  not  fo  in  all 
cafes,  and  at  all  times.    There  may  be  fuch  a  variety,  yea, 
contrariety,  in  the  ftate  and  circumftances  of  churches,  as 
not  to  make  that  expedient,    which   is   not  commanded^ 
though  it  mould  have  been  a  primitive  practice,  and  a  com- 
mendable one  too.     And  it   is,  beyond  all  difpute,   true, 
that  the  command,  refpecling  the  facramental  iupper,   re- 
lates to  doing  the  duty  itfelf,  prefcribing  nothing  in  par- 
ticular as    to  the  frequency   of  its    being      performed    ; 
whether  every  day,  or  week,  or  month,  or  year  .■>     In  gen- 
eral, it  may  be  juftly  collected  from  the  practice  of  the  firft 
chriftians,  efpecialty   when  compared  with  thofe  words  of 
the  apoftle  Paul,  •'  as  oft  as  ye  do  this,"  that  the  fupper  of 
the    Lord    ought  to   be    celebrated  with  fuch  frequency, 
as  that  it  may,  with  propriety,  be  fa  id,  it  is  done  often, 
I  judge  no  chriftian    church  for  "  breaking  bread"  every 
Lord's- Day  :    Neither  ought  they  to  judge  other  churches, 
who  think,  if  they  often  do  this,  it  is  all  they  are  obliged 
to,  in  virtue  of  any  precept  in  the  religion  of  Jefu?, 


io  Sacramtntal  "breaking  of  Bread?* 

fifed  perfons  arrived    at  maturity  of  age  and 
underftanding.     It  is  a  fhame  it  mould  be  thus, 
a  reproach  upon  chriftians,  a  difhonour   to  the 
religion  they  profefs,  and  an  open  and  fcanda- 
lous  affront  to  him  whom  they  own  to  be  their 
Matter  and  Lord.     How  different  is  the  prac- 
tice of  difciples  now  from  what  it  was  in  the 
days  of  the  apoQles  !   An    attendance   at  the 
facramental  table  was  then  universal  among 
thofe  who  profeffed  faith  in  Jefus  Chrift,     A- 
mong  the  three   thoufand  perfons,  fpoken  of, 
in  the   context,  as   admitted  to   baptifm,  there 
was  not  one  that  did   not  communicate   alfo  as 
the  Lord's-Supper  ;  and  it  was  their  constant 
pra&ice  todofo.    This  noble  example  of  the  pri- 
mitive christians,  recordedto their  honor  by  aain- 
fpired  pen,   may,  with  all  reafon,  be   efteemed 
a  folemn  rebuke  of  that  negligence,  in  regard 
of  the    Lord's-Supper,  which  is  now  become 
almoft    univerfal.     And  I  may   properly,    and 
not  unfeafonably,  take  occafion    from  it   to  re- 
prefent  to  all  that  "  name  the  name   of  Chrift" 
the  finfulnefs  of  fuch  neglect,  by   opening  to 
their  view,  in  the  plainer!  and  ftrongeit  manner 
I  am  able,  the  folemn  bonds  they  are  under  to 
attend  as  guefts  at  the  facramental  table. 

They  are  obliged   to  this   by  the  pofitive 
command  of  Jefus  Chrift3  the  founder  of  our 

religion 


a   Cbrittivn   Duty*  1 1 

religion,  and  the  author  of  falvation.     He   has 
fblemnly  enjoined    it  on    all,    who  own    them- 
felves  his  difciples,  to  "  break   bread"  in  honor 
to  him,     This  do  in  remembrance  of  me, 
are  the  words  of  his  command  :   Nor  could  he 
have  expreMed    his  pleafure  upon  this  head  in 
terms  more  plain  and  explicit.       They  lie  level 
to  the  ioweft  capacity,  and  may  readily  be  un- 
derftood   by  ail  that  do  not  fhut  iheir  eyes 
again  ft  the  light. 

Should  it  be  faid  here,  the  mind  ofChriftj 
tis  true,  was  plainly  enough  fignified  to  his 
.apoftles,  making  it  their  duty  to  "  break  bread 
and  eat  it,  to  pour  out  wine  and  drink  it  in  re- 
membrance of  him"  \  but  it  is  not  fo  evidenr, 
that  this  command  to  them  was,  in  the  defi<m 
of  (Thrift,  an  obligation  upon  difciples  in  gen- 
eral. 

It  is  readily  acknowledged,   the    words  of 
infti  ration  were  originally  fpoken  to  the  twelve 
apoftles  only  ;  for  which   reaion,  it   cannot   be 
certainly  argued,   from  the   words   themfelves 
(imply    confidered,   that  chriftians   in    general 
are  obliged     to  celebrate    this    memorial     of 
Chrift's  death.     The  apoftles  might  be  applied 
to  in  their  proper  character  as  fufcJF,  or  as  dif- 
ciples only  ;  and  whether  it  was  in  the  former, 
or  latter  of  thefe  fenfes.,  cannot  be   determined 


12  Sacramental  "breaking  of  bread" 

by  the  meer  force  of  our  Lord's  words,  as  they 
were   delivered    by   him.     But   this    notwith- 
ftanding,  it   is  not,   in  any  degree,  uncertain, 
whether  our  Savior  intended,  by  the  words  he 
fpake  to  his  apoftles,  to   oblige   chriftians  in 
common,  as  well  as  his  apoftles  in  particular, 
to  attend  at  the  facramental  fupper.     For  it  is 
to  be  remembered,  the  apoftles  were  infallible 
interpreters  of  our  Lord's  words  ;    infomuch 
that  we  may,  with   intire  confidence,  depend 
on   the  truth    they    conftrue  them  in.     And 
nothing  in  all  the  bible  is   more  clearly   and 
indubitably   evident   than  this,  that  they  ac- 
counted the  LordVSupper  an  eftabliftied  rite 
of  gofpel-worfhip,  an  inftitution  of  Chrift,  that 
alJ  his  profefled  difciples  were  as  truly  obliged 
fo  obferve  as  they  themfelves.     Why  clfe  was 
lt  the  practice  of  chriftians  in  their  day,  and  by 
their  order,  to  join  in  partaking  of  the  fymbols 
of  Chrift's  dcaih  ?      Three  thoufand   perfons, 
upon  being   baptifed  by  the  apoftles,  were,  in 
one  day,  admitted  to  fit  down  with  them  at  the 
LordVSupper  ;  and  they    "continued"  to  do 
fo,  wherever  this  ordinance    was  adminiftred  ; 
as  we  read  in  my  text  and  context.     And  u  is 
beyond   all    difpute  evident,     not   only   that 
chriftians    in    common   met    together   every 
LordVDay  to  join  in  prayer,  and  an  attendance 

on 


a  Chriflian  Duty.  13 

on  the  word  preached  ;  but  in   "  breaking  of 
bread"    alio,  a   phrafe  that  means     the  fame 
thing  precifely   with  their  celebration  of  the 
facramental  fupper.      And  they  did  this  under 
the  eye  of  the  apoftles,  with  them  at  their  head, 
and  as  acting  under  their  guidance  and  direction. 
Surely,   they  would    not  have   thus  put  chri- 
ftians  upon   partaking  of  the   Lord's-Supper, 
and  have  joined  with  them  in  it,   had  they    not 
known    the  mind  of  their   mafter  upon   this 
head.     It  was  unqueftionably  his  intention,  in 
the  appointment  of  the  fupper,  to  oblige  all  the 
profefTors  of  his  religion    to    an  obfervance  of 
it  :  Otherwife,    this  conduct   of  the    apoftles, 
who  were   conftituted  by  him  infallible  guides 
and  teachers,  will  be  abfolutely  unaccountable. 
Befides,  it  may   be  worthy   of  remark,   when 
the  apoftle  Paul  found  the  christians  at  Corinth 
in  the   ufe  of  this  act  of  religious  worfhip,  h* 
does  not  forbid  their  going   on  in  it,  as  being 
a  duty  proper  to  apoftles  only.     It  is  true,  he 
blames  them  for  the    irregularities  they    had 
mixed  with   their  ufe  of  this  ordinance  ;  but 
nor  for  their  ufe  of  the  ordinance   itfelf.     Far 
from   this,  he  foletnnly  allures  them,  as  from 
J-fus    Chrift    himfelf,   that     the    facramental 
fupper  was  a  facred   rite  of  gofpel  worfhip,   in- 
ftuuted    by  our  Saviour  himfelf  for  the  ufe 

of 


14         Sacramental  u  breaking  of  bread" 

of  all  chriftians.  And,  as  the  bed  remedy  tocure 
their  diforders,  he  relates  to  them  the  inftituti- 
on  itfelf,  and  directs  them  to  manage  their  at- 
tendance on  it  in  flricl;  agreement  therewith. 

So  that,  upon  the  whole,  it  will  not  admit 
of  debate,  whether  "  eating  bread  and  drink- 
ing wine,  in  remembrance  of  Chrift,"  is  an 
eltablifhed  rite  of  his  religion.  It  is  as  obvi- 
oufly  and  certainly  an  inftitution  of  the  gofpel 
as  "  baptifm  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of 
"  the  Sjn,  and  of  the  holy  Ghoft",  or  indeed 
any  law  reco/ded  in  the  new-teftament. 

There  is  therefore,  fo  far  as  we  regard  the 
authority  of  Jefus  Chrift,  the  fame  reafon  why 
we  fhould  "  break  bread,'*  in  remembrance  of 
him,  as  that  we  mould  obey  him  in  any 
other  inftance  of  duty  whatever.  Why  do  we 
think  ourfelves  obliged  to  join  as  chriftians, 
in  obferving  the  LordVDay,  or  in  attending 
on  the  word  preached  and  prayer  ?  Is  it  that 
we  might  be  obedient  to  Jefus  Chrift,  who 
is  king  in  Sion  ?  We  are  equally  unJer  obli- 
gation to-  celebrate  the  memorial  of  his  death. 
This  ordinance  has  the  fame  (lamp  of  his 
authority  on  it  ;  nor  are  we  any  more  at  lib- 
erty to  difregard  it  in  this  inftance,  than  in 
the  other.  Nay,  if  we  knowingly,  and  habi- 
tually offend  in  this  point,  we  may  reafonably 

call 


a    Cbrifitan  Duty,  15 

call  in  queftion  the  integrity  of  our  hearts  re- 
fpecting  the  other.     He  that  has  faid,  "repent 
and     be    baptifed,"   neglect  not    the    afTem- 
bling  yourfelvcs  together  "  for  the  fervices  of 
piety,    fuch  as  prayer,   reading    and    hearing 
God's  word,  has  faid  alfo,  and  in  words  equally 
authoritative,   "  this    do  in  remembrance    of 
me."     And   if  we  practically   flight    the  au- 
thority of  Chrift  in  this  latter   inftance,    why 
ihould  we  think  our  regards  to  it  are  pure  and 
lingle  as  to  the  former  ?  The   plain  truth  is, 
the   Commands  of  Jefus  Chrift  are  all  given 
out  with  the  fame  authority.     And  if  this  au- 
thority obliges  us  to  obedience  in  any,  it  does 
in  every  inftance.     We  have  no  right  to  make 
exceptions,    doing    one    thing,    and    leaving 
another   undone.      The  only  queftion  here  is, 
has  Jefus  Chrift,  who  is  Head  and  Lord  of  his 
church,  inftituted  the  facramental  (upper  ?  Has 
he  commanded    his  difciples  to    "eat  bread 
and  drink  wine  in   remembrance  of  him"  ?  If 
his  will,  in  this  matter,  has  been   plainly  made 
known,  an  end  is  at  once    put  to  all    ciifpute. 
It  is  our  indifpenfible  duty  to  honour  his  au- 
thority, by   readily  complying  with   his   Com- 
mand. 

A  n  d,  I  may  pertinently  add  here,  there  are 
fome  circumftances  attending  this  command  in 

fpecial, 


1 6         Sacramental  "breaking  of  bread" 

fpecial,  which  are  powerfully  fuited  to  awaken 
our  confideration,  and  excite  in  us  a  care  of 
punctual  obedience  to  it. 

It  is  a  command   that   has  been  carefully 
preferved,  and  faithfully  handed  down  to  us,by 
nolefsthan  three  of  the  Evangelifts.  Surely,  the 
Spirit  of  God,  under  whofe  extraordinary  in- 
fluence  thefe  holy  men  were  moved  to  write 
the  gofpels,  efteemed  the  facramental  fupper  an 
appointment  of  no  fmall  imporrance,  and  had 
it  in  view  to    bind  the  celebration  of  it  upon 
the  difciples  of  Chrift  in  the  ftrongeft  manner. 
Had  the  words,  in  which  our  Lord   instituted 
the  memorial  of  his  death,  been  tranfmitted  to 
us  by  one  of  the  facred   penmen  only,  they 
would  have  been  obligatory  upon  all  who  own 
Chrift  for   their  matter  ;  But,   as    they   have 
been  repeatedly    conveyed,  the   obligation    is 
more    unqueftionable,    we    are    more    firmly 
bound   to  pay  a  religious  regard  to  this   in- 
ftance  of  duty  ;  and  if  we  neglect  to  do  fo,  the 
guilt  hereby  incurred  will  be  greatly  height- 
ened.    A.  ferious  thought  this  !  and  it    were 
to  be  wifhed  ic  might    be  ferioufly   attended 
to  by   all   who   profefs    themfelves  chriflians. 
Another   circumftance    attending     the 
command   we  are   upon,  worthy  of  particular 
notice,  is,  the  extraordinary  manner  in  which  it 

was 


a    Christian   Duty.  iy 

r/as  conveyed   to  the  apoflle  Paul.     It   mould 
he   remembered   here,    he  was   not  an  apoftle^ 
nor  lb  much  as  a  believer,  when  our  Lord   in- 
joined   "  the  eating  of  bread,   and  drinking  of 
wine"    in    commemoration   of     h'ffi.      It  was 
after  this  time,  and   years  too,  that  he   became 
a  convert  to  the  religion  of  Jefus,  and  a  fellow- 
laborer  with  the    other  apoftles  in   the  gofpel- 
kmgdom.     And  now  it    was  that  he   received 
the   knowledge  of  the  facramental    inftitution. 
But  how  did  he  receive  it  ?  "not  of  men,  nei- 
ther was  he  taught  it  but  by  the   revelation  of 
Jefus  Chrift."     So  he  e^prefly  allures  us    hirri- 
fclf.     Says  he,    i  Cor.    if.  23*  "  I  received  of 
"  the  Lord  that  which  alfo   1  delivered   unto 
,"  you,  that  the  Lord  Jefus,  the  fame  night  in 
"  which  he   .was    betrayed,   took    bread,   and 
ct  brake  it,  and  faid,  take,  eat,  this  is  my  body 
"  which  is  broken  for  you  •,  this  do  in  remem- 
"  branee   of  me;' — The   prefixed   words,  u  I 
"  received  of  the  Lord,"   were    evidently  in- 
tended to  point  out  the  way  in  which  he  came 
by  the    knowledge   of  the   fupper,  as' a  divine 
appointment  •,  that   it   was,  not   by   inftruclion 
from  the  other  apoftles,  nor  by  any  communica- 
tion that  was  meerly  human  5  but  from  Jefus 
Chrift  himfelf.     And  may   it  not  from    hence 
be  fairly  concluded,  that  the  facramental  infti- 

C  tution 


1 8         Sacramental  "  breaking  of  head" 

tution  was,  in  the  efteem  of  our  Lord,  a  mat- 
ter of  folem-a  weight,  and  that  he  would  by  no 
means  have  it  difregarded  ?  Why  elfe  mould 
he  make  a  revelation  of  it  to  the  apoftle  Paul 
immediately  from  heaven  ?  His  taking  this  ex- 
traordinary method  certainly  argues  the  Angu- 
lar importance  of  the  duty,  and  renders  it  an 
inexcufeabie  fauk  in  chriftians  to  live  in  the 
neglect  of  it. 

There  is  yet  another   momentous  circum- 
ilance,  accompanying  the  command  to  "  break 
bread"    in    remembrance   of  Chrilh     And  this 
is,  the  time  when  it  was  firft  given  out.     The 
apoftle  Paul  takes  notice  of  this  circumftance, 
and  puts  a  fpecial  emphafis  on  it.     His   words 
are,   "  the   same    night  in  which  he  was 
betrayed   the   Lord   Jefus    took   bread,  and 
faid,  take   eat,  this  is   my  body    which  is  bro- 
ken for  you  :  This  do  in  remembrance  of  me." 
Surely,  no  matter  of  trifling  confider;»tion  would 
have  engaged   the    attention  of  our  Saviour  at 
iuch  a  time  as  this  !  He  would  not,  at  fo  fcrious 
and  folemn  a  juncture,  have  injoined  this  duty, 
and  by  his  own  example  have  fhewed  his  difci- 
pleshow  to  perform  ir,  if  he  had  not  tho't  it  wor- 
thy of  particular  regard,  and  fuppofed  that  his 
followers  would  think  fo  too.    He  too  well  un- 
derftood  human  nature,  not  to  mean  fome  fpe- 
cial 


a  Chridian  Duty.  19 

cial  recommendation  of  the  facramental  fupper 
by  inttituting  it  at  fo  critical  a  time.     In  a  dy- 
ing hour,  the  mod  earned  defires  of    the   foul 
are  wont  to  be  expreffed  ;  and   to  fuch  defires 
tfie   grea:ed   regard  is   commonly  paid.     If  a 
command,  orrequeft,  comes  from  a  dying  man, 
eipecially  if  he  is  a  friend,  a  benefactor,  whom 
we  love,  honour  and  admire,  it  is   apt  deeply 
to  imprefs  our  minds,  nor  can  we  eafily  hear  it 
with   indifference   and   neglect.      Such     now, 
though  in  a   much  higher  fenfe,   is  the  .com- 
mand to  "break  bread"  at  the  facramental  table. 
It  is  the  fare- well -requeft,  the  Jad  injunction, 
the  dying  charge,  not  only  of  our  'bed   friend, 
and  greated  benefactor  ;  but  of  him  whom  we 
call  our   Mader  and   Lord,     Shall    we  any  of 
us,  after  this,  habitually  neglect   the  indirution 
of  the  fupper  ?    Shall  we  exprefs,  in  our  prac- 
tice, a  difregard  to  a  duty,  condituted  fuch  by 
the  bleffed  Jefus,  juft  as  he  was  going  to  lay 
down   his    life   for  us    ?     How    fnall   we  free 
ourfelves  from  the  charge  of  bafe  ingratitude  to 
the  greated  lover  of  our  fouls,  if  we  reckon  it 
a    frivolous    rite,    or     are     wanting     in    our 
care  to  pay  all  due  honour  to  it  ?  Efpecially, 
as  it  was  injoined  under  circumdances,  fo  pe- 
culiarly firted  'to  drike  our  minds,   work  upon 
our  pailions,   and   engage   our  religious  obfer- 

vancc 


zo         Sacramental  "breaking  of  bread" 

vance  of  ic.  May  it  not  be  reafonably  qneftir 
oned,  whether  we  mind  our  Lord's  other  com- 
mands, if  we  can  eafily,  carelefiy,  and  habitu- 
ally forget,  in  our  practice,  this,  which  was  his 
Jaft  and  dying  one,  and  delivered  with  lo  much 
particularity  and  folemnity  ? 

I  have  hitherto  argued  from  the  authority 
only  by  which  the  Lord's-Supper  was  infiitu- 
ted.  If  we  go  on,  and  confider  the  defign  of 
this  ordinance,  and  the  good  effects  it  is  fitted 
to  prod  ace,  we  (hall  find  ourfelves  under  (irong 
additional  obligations  readily  to  pay  our  duti- 
ful regard  to    it. 

We  may  be  apt  to  (peak  of  it  as  nothing 
more  than  an .  injoined  ritual  that  has  no  in- 
trinfic  value  in  it.  And  it  is  acknowledged, 
it  is  not,  in  itlelf  fimply  cor.fidered,  a  natu- 
ral, efTcntiak  infeperable  part  of  religion,  as 
the  love  of  God  and  our  neighbour  ;  but  a 
pofuive  inftitution,  dependant  on  the  will  of 
Jefus  Chrift.  But  it  may  notwithftanding  be 
an  important  ufeful  appointment.  We  have 
feen,  from  feveral  circumftances  already  men- 
tioned,  that  our  Lord  himftlf  entertained  this 
thought  of  it  j  and  we  may  be  further  allured 
of  this, from  its  being  his  appointment,  though 
he  had  abolifhed  all  the  rites  and  ceremonies 
of  the  Jewilh  law.     Surely,  he  would  not  have 

made 


a    Cbriftian   Duty.  %i 

made  the  "breaking  and  eating  of  bread,"  m 
a  certain  way,  a  facred  rite  of  chriftianity,  if  he 
had  not  thought  it  highly  expedient  ;  if  the 
defign  in  view  had  not  been  valuable,  and  the 
tendency  of  the  thing  good  Jikewife  in  itfelf. 

A  s  to  the  defign  of  the  facramental  inftitu* 
tion,  it  was  to  perpetuate,  by  vifible  fymbols, 
the  memory  of  a  crucified  Saviour.  "  This  do 
in  remembrance  of  me".  The  thing  meant  is, 
not  meerly  that  christians,  when  partaking  of 
the  Lord's-Supper,  mould  employ  their 
thoughts  on  the  furTe rings  of  Him  who  died  for 
them.  This,  no  doubt,  was  one  thing  intended, 
and  expected  •,  and  it  would  be  highly  mif- 
becoming,  if,  while  at  this  folemnity,  they  did 
not  keep  in  mind,  and  fenoufly  contemplate, 
the  love  of  their  Savior,  who  "  died  for  fin, 
the  juli  for  the  unjuft,  that  he  might  bring  us 
to  God."  But  more  than  this  was  in  the  view 
of  Chrift,  when  he-  appointed  the  Gofpel-Sup- 
per.  His  intention  was,  that  this  fhould  be 
celebrated,  in  the  aflemblies  of  chriftians,  as 
an  open  declarative  reprefentation  of  his  death. 
u  It  is  one  thing,  fays  an  excellent  writer,  in- 
"  wardly  to  remember,  and  another  to  cele- 
u  brate,  and  folemnly  to  exhibit,  a  public  me- 
GC  memorial,  by  which  we  not  only  remember 
tl  a  fact,  but  avowedly  and  triumphantly  pro- 

"  claim 


*2  Sacramtntal  "breaking  of  Bread" 

"  claim  our  remembrance,  and  our  defire   to 
"  have  that  remembrance  obferved,  upheld  and 
"  propagated,"     In  this  fenfe,  the  Lord's- Sup- 
per was  appointed  for  a  declaration,  or  "  Shew- 
ing forth  of  Chrift's  death."    The  feparation  of 
bread  and  wine  at  the  facrament,  the  breaking 
and  eating  the  one,  and  the  pouring  out  and 
drinking  the  other,  do,  according  to  the  nature 
of  figns,  figuratively  fet  forth,    that   Chrift's 
body  was  broken  and  bruifed,   and   his   blood 
fh-d  as  an  atonement  for  fin.     This   is  what  is 
meant  by  thefe  figns,  and  they  are  made   eafie 
and  intelligible   to  the  mod  vulgar  capacity  by 
the  words  themfelves,    which  not  only   relate 
the  inftitution,  but  explain  its  fcnfe  ;  as  in  the 
paffbver,  Exod.  12.  25 — -27,  the  memorial  was 
exhibited,  and  the  fenfe  of  it  given. 

When  therefore  our  Savior  appointed  the 
breaking  and  eating  of  bread,  and  pouring  out 
and  drinking  of  wine,   "in    remembrance   of 
him,"  he  not  only  intended  this   as  an  occafion 
for  the  meditation  of  chriftians  on  his  crucifix- 
tion  and   death,  but  for  preferving,  and  tranf- 
mitting,  the  memorial  of  fo  important  an  event 
from  age  to  age,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
Thus  the  paflbver  was  a  memorial  throughout 
the  whole  time  the  Jewifh  law   was  in   force. 
And  thus  the  Supper  of  the  Lord,  celebrated 

by 


a  Cbriffian  Duty*  23 

by  thriftians  in  the  manner  he  has  prefcribed, 
is  an  open  public  declaration  of  his  dying  love* 
perpetuating  the  memory  of  that  amazing 
event,  which  is  the  true  bafis  of  all  our  hopes 
of  forgivenefs  with  God.  By  means  of  this 
monument,  the  memory  of  Chrift's  death  for 
the  falvation  of  a  miferable  world  has  been 
hitherto  preferved.  and  will  be  handed  down  to 
the  end  of  the  world.  So  great  and  valuable  a 
defign  was  in  the  view  of  Chrift,  when  he  ap* 
painted  the  facramental  fupper  ! 

And  (hall  we  any  of  us  be  backward  in 
comporting  with  fo  glorious  an  intention  ?  How 
dwelleth  the  love  of  Chrift  in  us,  if  we  have  no 
perception  of  a  readinefsto  take  occafion,  from 
the  inftituted  figns  of  his  body  broken,  and  his 
blood  fhed,  to  keep  up  in  our  minds  the  me- 
mory of  his  death  ?  If  we  can  allowedly  go  out 
of  the  aftemblies  of  chriftians,  not  joining  with 
them  in  recognifing,  and  perpetuating  the  me  > 
imrial  of  the  greater!  event  that  ever  took 
place  in  our  world,  and  that  is  clofely  connect- 
ed too  with  the  falvation  of  it  ?  We  are  obliged 
to  nothing,  if  we  are  not  obliged,  in  the  way 
of  Chrift's  appointment,  to  celebrate  the  me- 
mory of  his  death. 

But  befides  the  bonds  we  are  under  to  ap- 
pear as  guefts  at  the  Lord's-Supper  from  the 

valuable 


24         Sacrattiental  "breaking   of  bread" 

valuable  end  dcfigned  by  its  appointment,  we 
are  further  obliged  to  this  duty  in  confideration 
of  its  advantageous  tendency,  fuieably  regarded. 
lc  is  an  appointment  of  mercy,  powerfully 
adapted  to  produce  fpiritually  good  effects  -, 
and  cannot  fail  of  doing  fo,  unlefs  it  be  our 
own  fault.  The  bread  which  is  broken  at  this 
ordinance  is  an  instituted  fign  that  has  this 
meaning,  the  body  of  Chrift  was  wounded 
when  be  flood  in  our  place,  and  bore  our  ini- 
quities. The  wine  that  is  poured  out  is  an 
emblematical  figure  fignifying,  that  his  blood 
was  fhed  for  the  remiffion  of  fins.  And  can 
we  eat  of  this  bread,  and  drink  of  this  wine,  in 
this  view  of  them,  and  not  receive  benefit 
herefrom  r*  The  greateft  occafion  is  hereby 
given  for  the  excitement,  and  exereife,  of  all  the 
paflions  and  affections  of  the  human  mind  ; 
and  if  our  thoughts  are  fuieably  engaged  and 
employed,  great  good  will  be  the  effect  ;  and 
this,  whether  we  are  the  fubjects  of  a  common 
faith  only,  or  of  that  faith  which  is  faving. 

If  we  have,  at  prefent,  no  other  faith  than 
that  which  is  the  refult  of  ferious  inquiry,  un- 
der the  common  influence  of  the  divine  Spirit, 
which  was  the  only  faith  of  multitudes  who 
partook  of  the  LordVSupper,  in  the  days  of 
the  apoftles,  this  ordinance  is  happily  calcula- 

lated 


a   Christian    Duty.  25 

fed  and  fuited   to  promote  our   good.     More 
powerful  confiderations  to  this  end  cannot  be 
propofed  to  us,  than  thofe  that  obvioufly  pre- 
sent themfelves  at  the  facramental  table.     Here 
the  love  of  the  Father  is    figuratively  fet  forth 
to    us  in  the  ftrongeft   point  of  light.  Where- 
in could    he,  in   a  more  ftriking  manner,  have 
commended  his   love  to  us,  than   by    fending 
his  Son    to  die  for  us,   while  we   were   yet  Tin- 
ners ?  And  who,  that  is  in  a   ferious  frame    of 
mind,  can  think  of  this  amazing  love  of  God, 
and  not  feel   the  emotions  of  affection  towards 
him? — Here  alfo  the  love  ofChriftis   kindly- 
held  out  to  our  view.     Would   he    have  laid 
down  his  life   for  us,  if  he  had  not   loved    us 
with  a  love  ftronger  than    death   ?    And  what 
can  cenftrain  us   10  live,  not  to  ourfelves,  but 
to  him,  if  rhis   love  of  his  in   dying  for  us   has 
no  influence  on  us  ? — Here  likewife  the  j u ft 
defert  of  fin   is,    in  the   mod    lively   manner, 
pointed  out  to  us      Would   the   only    Son  of 
God  have  had  laid  on   him  fuch  a  load  of  fuf- 
ferings,  if  fin  had  not   been  meritorious  of  the 
high  difpleafure  of  almighty  God  ?    And  if  he 
fuffered  fa  much,    while  he  only  flood   in  our 
place,   how   mail  we  efcape,    if  we   will   noc 
be  perfuaded  to  leave  our  fins  r  The  reafoning 
of  our  Saviour  upon  this  head  is  eafic  and  juft, 

D  and 


3  5  Sacramental 4i  breaking  of  Bread™ 

and  muft  (Irike  our  minces  with  force,  if  we 
will  attend  to  it,  "  if  they  do  thefc  things  in  a 
green  tree,  what  fhall  be  done  in  the  dry"  £ 
4-.uk.  23.  3'.  In  a  word,  we  have  here 
preached  to  us  with  great  plainnefs,  though  in 
figurative  figns,  reconciliation  with  God  through 
the  death  of  Chrift,  and  complete  falvation  in 
eternal  Glory,  notwithstanding  all  our  paft  fins, 
however  multiplied,  or  aggravated,  they  may 
have  been.  And  how  loll  muft  we  be  to  all 
ingenuity  and  fenfe  of  grathude,  if,  by  fuch 
confiderations,  that  "godly  forrow"  for  fin  is 
not  produced  in  us,  which  is  accompained  with 
"  repentance  unto  life,  never  to  be  repented 
of"  ?  Many,  without  all  doubt,  in  apoiiolic 
days,  and  in  every  age  fince,  by  means  of  what 
has  been  fusrpefted  to  their  minds  at  the  table 
of  the  Lord,  and  impreiTH  on  them  by  his 
Spirit,  have  been  turned  from  vifible  chriftians 
only,  to  thofe  that  are  chrifiians  in  the  real 
temper  of  their  hearts.  And  what  has  been 
may  be  again.  The  ordinance  of  the  fupper  is 
admirably  well  adapted  to  promote  the  edifica- 
tion of  ail  that  come  to  it  in  the  ferious  exer- 
Cife  of  faith,  though  their  faith,  at  prefenr, 
jhould  not  be  fuch  as  will  argue  their  being 
&  born  from  above".— 1 — 

A,\-d  as  |o  thofe  who  are    already  partakers 


a    Cbrifiidn    Duty*  ty 

of  the  grace  of  God  in  truth,   their  is  nothing 
in   Christianity    better  fuiteci    to    help  forward 
their  growiri  in  the  divine  life,    than  their   at- 
tenJance  at  the  facramental  fupper  in  a  ferious 
devoue  and    confiderate    manner.     It  is  by  the 
dying   love   ofChritl,    duly   im  pre  fled    on   the 
mind  by  the  Holy  Ghoft,  that  holy  dilpofnbns 
are   both  begun,    maintained,    increafed,    and 
perfected  in  the  Soul.      And  what  more  effec- 
tual means  could  have  been  deviled  to  awaken 
in     us    a    fenfe    of    this     love      of    Chrift, 
and  keep  it  in  a  vigorous  lively  ftate,  than  our 
partaking  of  that   bread   and   wine  which   are 
inftituted   fymbols   of  his    body   broken,    and 
,  blood  (tied,  for  our  pardon  and   faivation  ?    If, 
•  in  the  exerciie  of  faith,  we  employ  our  thoughts 
on  thofe  amazing   objects  that  are  here  offered 
to  contemplation,  it  mud  tend,  in  the  ftrongeft 
manner,   to  lbften  our  hearts,  inflame  our  af- 
fections,   ftrengthen   our  graces,   and  tftabiidi 
our  minds  in  all  chriftian  virtue  ;  efpecially,  as 
we    may   here   experdt   the    preience  of  Chrift 
with  us,  by  his  Spirit,  to  guide  our    thoughts, 
alftft  our   meditations,   govern  our  views,   en- 
courage our  hopes,   comfort  our  hearts,    and 
confirm  in  us  the  principles  of  goo'dnefs.     Per- 
haps, the  bleflid  Jcfus    is  never  rtnre  prefect 
wi.k  the  true  chriftian,  to  the  purpofes  of  fpiri- 


2  8  Sacramental  "breaking  of  bread*9 

tual  light,  love,  joy  and  increafe  of  holinefs, 
than  when  he  is  at  his  cable  in  a  right  frame  of 
foul.  1  doubt  nor,  there  are  thole  now  pre- 
fent  who  can  fpeak  of  fpecial  manifeftations  of 
their  Savior  at  this  ordinance,  enlarging  their 
views  of  the  divine  glory,  invigorating  their 
graces,  and  llrengthening  their  feeble  minds, 
fo  as  that  they  have  been  able  to  ran  in  the 
chnftian  race,  and  not  be  weary  -9  to  walk  and 
not  faint, 

So  that  if  we  have  any  concern  for  the  wel- 
fare of  our  fouls  i  if  we  defire  they  mould  be 
poftefTed  of  the  grace  of  God,  or  improved  and 
eftablifhed  in  it,  we  mud  needs*  think  ourfelves 
obliged  to  celebrate  the  memorial  of  Chrift/s 
dying  love  ;  as  this  is  an  instituted  mean  fo 
powerfully  fitted  to  produce  thefe  good  effects. 

It  is,  I  am  ready  to  chink  very  much  owing 
to  the  neglect  of  the  Lord's-Suppjr,  that  there 
is  fo  little  religion  to  be  feen  among  us.  While 
chriltians,  fo  called,  do  generally,  and  allow- 
edly exprefs,  in  their  practice,  a  difregard  to 
their  duty  in  this  inflance,  it  is  no  more  than 
may  be  expected,  that  they  mould  negleft 
it  in  another,  and  fo  on  until  they  are  got  into 
an  habit  of  indifference  to  all  religion.  It  is 
likewife  very  much  owing  to  the  negleft  of 
tfcis  ordinance,  or  a  carelefs   flighty    manner  of 

attending 


a  Chriliian  Duty.  29 

attending  on  it,  that  there  are  fo  many  fpirit- 
ually  poor,  weak  chriftians  among  us.  No 
wonder  perfons  ihould  continue  "  babes  in 
Chrift",  if  they  do  not  ufe  this  mean  of  growth, 
or,  if  they  ufe  it,  do  it  in  an  overtly  fuperficial 
manner. — It  is  owing  to  this  fame  caufe  alfo, 
in  a  great  meafurc,  that  there  are  fo  many 
chriftians,  who  conflict  with  doubts  and  fears, 
being  ftrangers  to  that  comfortable  hope  to- 
wards God  without  which  there  can  be  no  true 
enjoyment  of  life  -,  and  how  mould  it  be  other- 
wife,  if  they  will  not  wait  upon  Chrift,  in  this 
way  of  his  appointment,  for  thofe  maniftftati- 
ons  of  his  love  which  fhall  fcatter  their  fears, 
and  fet  their  minds  at  reft  ?  It  may  be  juilly 
qi-eftioned,  whether  religion  will  ever  flourifh 
among  us,  until  this  inftitution  of  Chrift  is 
more  generally  attended,  and  with  due  care 
and  confideration. 

1  shall  fubjoin  here  ftill  further  to  excite 
our  regard  to  the  facramental  fupper,  that  ic 
is  a  vifible  mark,  fign,  or  badge  of  the  chrift- 
ian  profcfTion.  The  wifdom  of  God  has  al- 
ways feen  fit,  under  all  the  difpeniations  of 
his  kingdom,  to  appoint  fome  facred  vifible 
rite,  as  a  dift;nguifhing  mark  pointing  out 
his  profiling  people.     Circumcifion     was  the 

inftituted  rite  of  diftinftion,   to   the  feed    of 

Abraham 


30         Sacramental  "  breaking  of  bread" 

Abraham  after  the  flefh.     In  addition  hereto, 
the  paffbver,  under  the    law,   was    appointed, 
among  other  ends,  to  be  a  fign  between  God, 
and  the  nation  of  the  Jews,     that  is,    a  public 
folemn  rite  by   which  they    might   be   known 
to  be  his  people;  in  diftinction  from  the   other 
nations  of  the  earth.     And  of  fuch  importance 
were  thefe  inftituted  rites,  in  the  efteem  of  God? 
that  the  defpifers  of  them    were  peremptorily 
ordered  by  his  authority  to    "  be  cut  off  from 
his  people";  as  not  having  their  proper  mark, 
and   therefore   no  right    to   their   advantages, 
Chriftianity  alfo  has  its    diftinguifhing    rites. 
Meeting  together  for  "  fupplications,  prayers^ 
interceflions,  and  giving  of  thanks,"  and   the 
like  public  exercifes  of  piety,    are   not  peculiar 
to  the  religion  of  Jefus,  but   common  to  every 
other.     Baptifm,  and   the   Lord's-Supper,   are 
the  facred  vifible  rites  by  which   Chrill   v/ould 
have  his  difciples  and  followers    known  to   be 
fuch  in  diftinction  from  the  reft   of  the  world. 
By  baptifm,  which  can  be  received  but    once, 
agreably  to  the   mind  of  our    Savior,  they   are 
initiated  difciples  ;    but   it    is    principally    by 
celebrating  the  Lord's-Supper,   and  doing  ic 
frequently  in  a  ftated  courfe,  that  they  are    dif- 
tinguifhed  as  his  followers.     By  this  they  were 
known  as  fuch  in  the  days   of  the    apoftles. 

Their 


;. 


a   Christian   Duty.  31 

Their  affcmbling  together  to  "  break  bread" 
was  their  appropriate  character,  and  pointed 
them  out  as  the  difciples  of  Chrift.  And  fo  it 
ought  to  be  now.  We  fhould  be  known  to  be 
chriftians  by  having  communion  in  the  em- 
blems of  ChritVs  body  and  blood.  A  crucfied 
Chrift  is  the  true  bafis  of  the  religion  of  Jeius, 
in  diftinction  from  every  other  ;  and  the  pub- 
lic folemn  celebration  of  him  in  this  character, 
in  the  v/ay  he  has  appointed,  is  the  proper 
diftinclive  mark  of  our  profeflion  as  his  difci- 
ples. By  this  we  "  glory  in  the  crofs  of  Chrift", 
proclaiming  our  adherance  to  him,  and  that 
we  have  no  hope  towards  God  but  through 
him.  But  if  we  are  neglecters  of  the  Lord's- 
Supper,  we  declare  virtually,  and  in  reality  of 
fenfe,  that  we  are  afhamedof  the  proper  chriftU 
an  badge.  And  what  ever  elfe  we  do  in  reli- 
gion, we  leave  that  undone  which  is  the  inftitu- 
ted  vifible  mark  to  diftinguifh  us  as  Chrift's 
difciples. 

I  have  now  faid  all  that  I  intended  in 
iiluftration  of  the  bonds  we  are  under  to 
"  break   bread"  as   Chrift  has  commanded. 

Let  what  has  been  offered,  be  ferioufly  re- 
flected on  by  thofe  who  have  made  it  their 
practice  to  treat  the  table  of  the  Lord  with 

neglect 


32  Sacramental  "breaking  of  Bread" 

neglect,     not    to    fay    conftru&ive   contempt. 
You    have   violated  the  ftrongeft   bonds,  and 
muft    be     convinced   of  it,   if   you    will    but 
confider.     Is    not    the   (upper  of  the  Lord  a 
plain    inftitution  of  the  gofpel  ?    Has  not  Je- 
fus   Chrift   peremptorily  faid    "  do  this  in  re- 
membrance of  me"  ?  Can  you  call  in  queflion 
the   truth    of  this  command  ?    Have   you  not 
as  good   reafon    to  believe,  that  he   has   infti- 
tuted  the  facramental   fupper,  as   baptifm,    or 
the  duty  of  attending   to  the  word  preached  ? 
And  will   you  notwithstanding  pay  no  regard 
to  this  gofpel  ordinance  ?  Is   he  not   the  con- 
ftituted  fovereign  in    the  kingdom    of  grace  ? 
Do  you  not  call   him  Matter  and  Lord  ?  And 
is  he  not    your   Savior,   as   well  as  Lawgiver 
and  Judge  ?  Has  he   not    died    a   facrifice    to 
atone  for  your   fins  ?  Have    you    any     hope 
of  the    pardoning   mercy  of  God,  but  through 
the  merit    of  his    blood,    that    blood    of  his, 
this   inftitution  is  a    memorial    of.     And   will 
you,  in     oppofition   to   all   thefe   conftraining 
motives,    go   on   in  the  neglect  of  it  ?    God 
forbid    that   you    mould  any  longer  difregard 
the  authority   of  his   Son    Jefus    Chrift,    and 
betray  ingratitude    to    him    for   his    aftonifh- 
ing  love,   by  taking    no  practical  notice  of  his 
dying   requeft  to  his  difciples   and   followers. 

SERMON, 


4      m      m  •   *      m      4 


S    E    R    M    O    N    II. 


♦f*^*fn$**{*  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*jt*|$ 


A&s.     II.     42. 


it 


And  they  continued  Jicadfajlly—in    breaking 
"  of  Bread" 


H  AV  E  already  taken  occafion,  from 
??>  I  <j&  thefe  words,  to  lay  before  you,  in  a 
'  ^^  plain  and  faithful  manner,  the  obli- 
gations chriftians  are  under  to  "break 
bread"  in  obedience  to  Chrift,  and  in  com- 
memoration of  his  dying  love  to  finners. 

What  I  now  propofe  is,  a  ierious  addrefs, 
relative  to  the  fubjedl  we  have  been  upon,  to 
3the  following  clafles  of  perfons.     To  the  fe- 

E  .cure)/ 


34  A   ferious   addre/s    /* 

curdy  wicked  ;  to  the  carelefs  and  indiffer- 
ent ;  to  thofe  who  neglect  the  Lord's- Supper, 
though  it  is  their  care  tcobferve  the  other  in- 
ftitutions  of  chriftianity  -y  torthofe  who  call  in 
queftion  the  perpetuity  of  the  command  to 
"  break  and  eat  bread"  at  the  facramental 
table  i  and,  finally,  to  thofe  who  are  fenfible 
of  their  duty  in  this  regard,  and  would  gladly 
attend  it,  but  that  they  are  hindred  by  various 
doubts,  fears,  and  fpiritual  difficulties. 

By  thus  methodifing  this  addrefs,  it  will  ob- 
vioufly  and  naturally  fall  in  my   way    to  confi- 
der  the  facramental    neglect  in    every  point  of 
view,  and   to  offer    thereupon  what    may    be 
thought  proper  ;   not   leaving   untouched    any 
objection,  fcrupler  fear,  or  perplexity,   however 
minute,    any    have     mentioned,     within     my 
knowledge,    in  excufe   of  themfelves.     It   has 
been    my     purpofe,    for  fome,  confidering  the 
great  and    general,  and,  1  may  fay,  fcandalous 
difregard  that  is  practically  mewn  to  as  plain  a 
duty  as  any  in   the  religion  of  Jefus  Chrift,  to 
b*    particular  and   thorough  in  an  attempt  of 
this  nature  ;  and  if,  in  profeeution  of  it,   feve- 
ral  difcourfes   mould  be  found    neceffary,   the 
importance  of  what  may  be  delivered  will  ren- 
der an  apology   needlefs  :    You  will  the  rather 
give  the  more  earned  and  diligent  attention  to 
what  may  be  difcourfed.     This  may  be  ex- 
pected 


fever al  Gaffes   of  Ptcple,  3^ 

pected  of  thofe,  at  lead,  whofe  minds  are  in 
anxiety  refpecting  their  attendance  at  the  gof- 
pel  Tapper. 

I   am,  in    the   firft  place,  to  addrefs  a  few 
words  to  t 'ie  fecurely  wicked,   thofe  who  lead 
a  vicious  and   ungodly  life,  love   the  ways   of 
fin,  and  walk  in  them,   not  perceiving    within 
themfelves  an  inclination   to  ceafe  from  doing 
evil,  but  a  difpofition  and  refolution  rather  to 
go  011  in  the  practice  of  iniquity.     Would  to 
God  it  were  an  abufe  of  chriftians,  fo   called, 
to  fuppofe  there  were  any  among  them  of    this 
character.     But  it  is  a  fact   too  glarringly    evi- 
dent to  admit  of  a  denial.     To  fuch  I  would 
fay, 

It  is  not  expected  of  you,  nor  indeed   de- 
fied, that  you  would,  in  your  prefent  temper 
of  mind,  ome  to  the  table  of  the  Lord.      Ic 
would  be  a  prophanation  of  that  which   is   fa- 
cred  for  perfons  of  your  character  to  partake  of 
the  fymbols  of  Chrift's  bjdy  and  blood  ;  and 
fhould  you  attend    any  other   fervice   of  piety, 
it  would   be   only   for  falhion's  fake,    and    in 
hypocrify.     You  are  the  wicked  ones  of  whom 
it  is  declared,  in  the  facred  books,  that    "  their 
prayers   are   an   abom  nation    to    the    Lord"^ 
You  are   the  fnners,   of  whom    the  holy  God 
makes  that  demand,     "  when  ye  come  to   ap- 
pear 


4  6  A  ferious    addrefs   to 

pear  before  me,  who  hath  required  this  at  your 
hands  "  ?     You    are    the    perfons,    as  though 
pointed  out    by  name,  to  them  he  applies,  in 
that  moil   folemn  language,   "  what  hail  thou 
to  do,  that  thou  moulded  take  my  covenant  in- 
to  thy  mouth"  ?  But    remember,  though   the 
wicked    ftate  you    are  allowedly  in   is  a    good 
reafon,  why  you  fhould  not  dare  to  partake  of 
the  Lord's  Supper,  it  is,  at  the  fame    time,    a 
reafon   that    will   render  you  fpeechlefs,  when 
you  are  called  to  ftand    before  the   bar  of  the 
coming    judgment.      Far      from     cancelling 
your    obligations    to  this   duty,    it   heinoufly 
aggravates    your   guilt   in   the    neglect   of  it. 
You  are  the  more  inexcufible,  as  your   being 
altogether  unfitted  for  this,  or  indeed  any  other 
facred    performance,  is  owing  to  your  vicious 
indulgences  as  willing  fei  vanes  of  corruption. 
If  any  of  you,    my   hearers,   are  confeious  to 
yourfelves,  that  you   are    the    finners  here  de- 
fcribed,    be   allured,    your    ftate,     rellgioufly 
fpeaking,   is   lamentably  fad.     You  will  only 
mock  God,  fhould  you  pretend  to  draw   nigh 
to   him   in  the  exercifes   of  piety.     And  yet, 
your  guilt  in   not  doing  this,  inftead  of  being 
leiTened  by  your   being  thus    finful,    will  be 
greatly   inhanced.     Is  then  the  condition  you 
are  in  a  fafe  one  ?  Can  vou  be  eafie  in  it  ?  The 

4 

Lord 


fever al  Gaffes  of  People*  37 

Lord  take  pity  on  you  !  Unlefs  you  are  awak- 
ened to  attention,  and  brought  to  a  fight  of 
your  finfulnefs  and  danger,  you  are  undone 
for  the  future  world.  This  is  the  firft  thing 
neceflary  in  order  to  your  recovery.  If  it 
fhall  pleafe  the  father  of  mercies,  and  God  of  all 
grace,  to  alarm  your  fears,  roufe  your  confei- 
ences,  and  put  you  upon  feeking  to  him  in  real 
earned  to  compafionate  your  cafe,  there  will 
be  hope  concerning  you.  You  may,  if  he 
fhould  gracioufly  do  this,  with  propriety  ufe 
the  appointed  means  in  order  to  a  "  deliver- 
ance from  the  bondage  of  corruption  into  the 
glorious  liberty  of  the  Ions  of  God"  %  and  you 
may  do  it,  humbly  hopemg  for  fuccefs, 
through  him  who  has  been  the  propitiation  for 
the  fins  of  men. 

The  carelefs  and  indifferent  are  nextly  to 
be  applied  to  •,  by  whom  I  intend,  not  thofe 
who  have  no  fenfe  of  religion,  and  pay  no 
regard  at  all  to  ir,  making  fin,  in  one  fhape 
or  another,  their  habitual  allowed  praclice  : 
Thefe  are  not  the  perfons  1  have  here  in 
view  ;  but  thofe,  who,  though  they  may 
have  fome  perceptions  of  the  bonds  of  God 
that  are  upon  them,  are  yet  the  fubjecls  of 
them  in  a  tranfient  way  only,  and  this  in 
a  low  feeble    degree,  fo   as  that  they   have  no 

powtr 


38  A  prions    addrefs  to 

power   to  form  their   temper,   or   thoroughly 
touch    their    confciencs.     Their  proper    cha- 
racter  is,  not    that    they   are    totally  thought- 
lefs,   but  infufficiently    fo  -,    not    that  they    are 
altogether   unconcerned    about    the  affairs    of 
their  fouls  and  another  world,  but   their  con- 
cern  about  thefe   infinitely  important   matters 
is  light   and    inconfiderable  ;     not    that    they 
never   have  any  religious   motions  working  in 
them,    but    they     are   weak,    fluctuating   and 
ineffectual  ;  inforrnch    that    thev   can  indulge 
to  carelefsnefs  in    regard  of  the  duties  of  pie- 
ty, and   yet   keep   their    minds   in     eaie    and 
peace   \   yea,  they    can    live    in    the    habitual 
neglect  of    them,      or,    which    is    as     bad,    a 
meer  formal,  cuftomary    performance  of  them, 
and    perceive   no    uneafinefs  on    this     account. 
Many  there  are,    and  am  »ng    thofe    too    who 
would   take   it   ill    not   to    be    called    christi- 
ans,  whofe  juft    character   has  been  here    de-, 
lineated,     To  fuch  it  may  not  be  amifs  to  fay, 
Your  great   unhappinefs    is,     that   religion 
has  taken  no  fad  hold  of  your   hearts.      You 
are  not  only    ftrangers   to  the  power  of  god- 
linefs   but  to  that    (late  of  mind    that    is  on* 
ly   introductory  to   it.     It   is   feldom,    if  ever, 
that    perfons  take  up  the   practice    of  religion 
with   engagednefs   of  heart,    unil    they    have 

firft 


various    ClaJJes  of  People,  39 

firft  had  excited  in  them  fuch  perceptions 
of  God,  and  iheir  obligations  to  him,  as  are 
incompatible  with  that  indifferency  of  fpirit 
which  diftinguimes  the  perfons  to  whom  I 
am  now  fpeaking.  Inftead  therefore  of  be- 
ing chriftians  in  truth,  you  have  not  as  yet 
attained  to  that  ferious  date  of  mind,  that 
fenfe  of  God,  of  fin  and  holinefs,  which  are 
common  to  thofe  who  are  butjuft  entering 
upon  the  bufineis  of  religion  in  good  earned. 
The  proper  advice  to  you  is,  to  endea- 
vour, in  all  futable  ways,  to  get  awakened  in 
you  a  becoming  concern  about  the  infinitely 
interefting  affairs  of  your  fouls,  and  everlaft- 
ing  falvation.  Without  this,  if  you  do  any 
thing  in  religion  it  will  be  a  lip-fervice  only. 
If  you  "  honor  God  with  your  mouths,  your 
hearts  will  be  far  from  him".  And,  per- 
haps, duty  thus  performed,  had  as  well  been 
omitced.  Be  lure,  the  fupper  of  the  Lord 
mould  not  be  attended  in  this  fleighty,  fu- 
perficial,  not  to  fay  hypocritical  manner.  Ic 
would  be  a  difhonor  to  the  memory  of  (Thrift's 
dying  love,  and  of  no  fervice  to  thofe,  who 
in  this  heedlefs  way,  mould  join  in  the 
celebration  of  it.  Not  that  perfons  will  be 
difcharged  from  guilt,  if  they  neglect  duty 
1A  general,  or  the  duty  of  partaking  of  the 

facramentai 


40  A    ferious   addrefs   to 

facramental  (upper  in  particular,  on  account 
of  the  inconfiderate  unconcerned  frame  of 
mind  they  are  habitually  in.  This  would 
be  to  fuppofe,  that  one  fin  might  be  an  ex- 
cufe  for  another,  than  which  nothing  is  more 
palpably  abfurd.  Your  fin,  in  neglecting  your 
duty,  will  be  the  more  heinous  in  God's  fight, 
as  taking  rife  from  fo  bad  a  caufe  as  that  of 
a  thoughtlefs  (late  of  foul,  rendering  you  un- 
meet   for  the  performance  of  it. 

The    firft   thing  therefore  proper  for  you  is, 
to  pay  regard  to  that  infpired  direction,  "con« 
fider,    and    (hew  yourfelves  men".     Make  ufe 
of  the   power   of   reflection    you   are    endow- 
ed with,  and    is  your  di(tingui(hing   glory  as 
men,  reafonable  creatures.     And   be  much  in 
the  exercife    of  it  ;  taking  off  your  thoughts 
from    the  world,    its  vanities,  gayities,  amufe- 
ments  ,  riches   and  pleafures,    and    employing 
them  on  thofe  fpirituai  objects  that  will   tend 
to  foften    your  hearts,    warm   your   affections, 
and  animate  your   refolutions   and    endeavors. 
Without   this  care,   it  will  be  impcffible,  hu- 
manly (peaking,  but  that  you  fliould  remain 
deftitute   of  any  lively   fenfe  of  God  and   reli- 
gion, and    indifferent    to    things  of  a  fpirituai 
nature.     It  is  by  meditation,  ferious,  frequent, 
devout   meditation,  that  the   mind   is  impref- 

kd 


various    Clajfts  of  People.  4t 

fed,   and    a    concern  about     the  "one   thing 
needful"  at  firft  excited,  and  afterwards  main- 
tained  and   cherifhed.     And  you   can  be    at 
no  lofs  for  obje&s,   which,  if  folerhnly  medi- 
tated on,    in    the  exercife  of  a   rational  faith 
only,  would    mightily   tend   to   awaken   your 
confciences,  and   promote  in  you  a  becoming 
follicitude  about  your  higheft  intereft.     Think 
of  God,  your    relation  to  hirri,    your   depen- 
dance  on  him,  and   the    inviolable  obligations 
you  are    under  to  love,    honor  and  ferve  him. 
Think  on  Chrift,  what  he  has  done,  and  fuffe- 
red,    and  is    now   doing  at  God's  right  hand 
in    heaven  for  your    falvation  ;  what    he    ex- 
pects  from   you   in   return  for    all  this  good- 
n&fei    and  what   you    may  expect  from    him„ 
if  you  treat  it  wi:h  ingratitude  and  bafe  neg- 
Ject.     Think   on  the    coming   of  the  Lord- Je- 
fus  (Thrift   a  fecond  time,   his  coming   in    the 
glory   of  his    father,  and  in    his    own    glory^ 
with  the    holy  angels,    to  judge    the  world  in 
righteoufnefs,  when  you    mall  (land  before  his 
tribunal,   and,   if  you    have  not    been   careful 
to  approve   yourfelves  his    faithful  and  obedi- 
ent fervants,    fhall  receive  that  fentence  from 
his    mouth,    "depart    from     me,    ye   curfed, 
into   the   fire   prepared   for  the  devil   and  his 
;eh'\     Oh  amazing  object  of  contemplate 


42  A  fericus   addrefs   ttf 

on  !  What  can  be  more  powerfully  adapt- 
ed to  move  yonr  fear,  awaken  your  concern, 
and  engage  your  earned  endeavours,  that 
you  may  be  found  of  your  Judge,  in  that 
day,  among  thofe,  to  whom  he  will  fay, 
M  come  ye  bleiTed  of  my  faiher,  inherit  the 
kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world*'.  Gan  you  make  prefent 
to  your  view,  in  ferious  contemplation,  this 
awful  day  of  the  Son  of  G.od,  and  not  be 
concerned  that  you  may  then  hold  up  your 
heads  with  joy  ?  Can  it  be  fuppofed,  that 
you  have  faith,,  fo  much  as  a  common  faith, 
in  this  mod  feriou5  and  important  truth, 
unlcfs,  when  you  employ  your  thoughts  on 
it,  your  indifferency  to  religion,  your  care- 
lefsnefs  in  reference  to  the  duties  of  it,  re- 
ceive feme  folemn  check,  unlefs  they  no 
longer  operate  as  your  habitual  governing 
temper  ?  If  you  are,  any  of  you,  to  fuch  £ 
degree  thcughtltfs,  and  unconcerned,  as  that 
you  will  not  refle£t  on  thefe  interefting  ob- 
jects of  revelation,  or  are  able  to  think  of 
them  with  fo  little  attention  as  not  to  be 
moved  by  them,  you  are  in  an  unhappy 
condition.  The  "  god  of  this  world"  has 
blinded  your  eyes,  and  you  will  remain  in 
t-his  fpiritually  hazardous  date,  until  you  art 

brought 


fever al  Gaffes   cf  People.  43 

brought  to  confider,  and  (6  to  confider  as 
to  be  hereby  thoroughly  roivfed.  And  when- 
ever this  fhall  come  to  be  your  cafe,  you 
will  attend  the.  duties  of  piety,  snd  you  will 
do  it  from  the  heart,  and  not  in  hypocrify  ; 
in  real  good  earned,  and  not  as  a  matter 
q£  form  :  And  by  thus  attending  on  the  in~ 
ftituted  means  of  grace,  you  may  hope,  un- 
der the  concurring  influence  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  to  be  trained  up  to  a  "  meetnefs  for 
the  inheritance  of  the  fancYified  by  faith  in 
Jefus  Chri(t". 

Another  fort  of  perfons  to  be  fpoken 
£0  are  thofe,  who,  inftead  of  indulging  to 
vice,  are  blamelefs  in  their  lives.  Their  turn 
of  mind  is  ferious  and  confiderate.  They 
make  it  their  practice  to  perform  the  other 
duties  of  religion;  though  not  that  of  re- 
membring  Chnft  at  his  table.  It  is  their 
care  to  "  pray  to  their  father,  who  feeth  in 
fecret"  ;  the  "  morning  and  evening  facri- 
fice"  is  daily  going  up  as  u  incenfe"  from 
their  houfes  •,  they  come  to  the  "  fanctuary" 
at  the  dated  times  for  worfhip,  and  join  with 
God's  people  in  the  public  offices  of  leli- 
gion,  the  celebration  of  the  facrament  only 
excepted.  Nor  is  this  a  meer  cuftomary  bu- 
fincfe,   a  matter  of  form  only.     They  efteem 

it 


^4  d  firious    addrefs    to 

it  their  duty,  are  confciencious  in  the  doing 
it,  and  it  would  occaQon  uneafy  reflections 
on  tbemfelvcs,  fnould  they  needlefsiy  neg- 
lect it.  Some  there  are,  it  may  be  hoped 
a  good  number,  of  whom  this  is  the  juft 
character.     To   fuch    I  would    fay, 

It   is    to   your  commendation,  that  you    at- 
Tend  thefe  duties  of  piety.     But  what  good  ac- 
count can  you  give  of  your  leaving  the  other 
undone  ?  Has  Chrift,  the  law-giver,  King,  and 
Judge  of  his   Church,   diftinguifhed   between 
the  facramental    inftkutson,  and    the  other  (Ju- 
ries of  religion,  excufing  your   obfervanee  of 
the   former,  if  you   practically  regard  the  lat- 
ter ?  Has  he  not  rather  peremptorily  required 
your  obedience  to  them  all  ?    Is  it  not  as  truly 
his  will,  explicitly  and  folemnly  published,  that 
you  fhould  celebrate  the   memorial  of  his  dy- 
ing love,  as  that  you   fhould  pray  to  God,   or 
take  heed  to  the  word   of  doctrine  or  exhor- 
tation ?  And  if  it  is   proper  you  fhould    obey 
him  in  thefe  inflances,  why  not  in  the  other  \ 
Is  not  his   authority  the   fame    in  all    thefe  re- 
quirements ?  And  will  you  do  juft  honor  to  it, 
if,  while  you  are  obedient    in   fame   inltances, 
you  are  difobedient  in  another  ?.  Your  attend- 
ing the  other  exercifes  of  piety  will  not  be  ac- 
counted another  day  a   good    icafon  for   the 

neglect, 


fever al  Clcjfes  of  People.  45 

neglect  of  this.  It  will  rather  be  efteemed 
an  evidence  of  deficiency  in  your  regard  to 
the  government  of  him  who  is  your  profeflfed 
Mailer  and  Lord.  It  is  not  enough  my  bre- 
thren, that  you  give  your  attendance  on  prayer, 
and  the  word  preached.  You  are  as  much 
obliged  to  u  break  bread'*  at  the  Lord'sSup- 
per.  You  may  no  more  omit  the  one  than 
the  other.  They  are  equally  your  duty  :  or, 
fhould  there  be  any  difference,  your  obligati- 
ons to  pay  a  becoming  refpect  to  the  facra- 
mental  institution  are  the  ftrongeft,  and  mould 
make  you  more  efpecially  careful  not  to  treat 
it  with  neglect.  "  This  do  in  remembrance 
of  me,"  is  the  dying  command  of  your  Savior, 
as  well  as  Lord  -,  and  it  is  a  command  that 
enjoins  your  remembrance  of  the  greateft  love 
of  the  beft  friend.  You  are  bound  therefore 
in  gratitude  as  well  as  duty  to  yield  a  ready 
chearful  obedience  to  it.  It  is  (trange  that 
any,  who  have  upon  their  minds  a  ferious  fenfe 
of  religion,  and  are  hereupon  careful  in  other 
refpects  to  do  the  duties  of  it,  mould  yet  live 
month  after  month,  and  year  after  year,  in  the 
omiflion  of  this.  It  is  more  ftrange  ftill,  that 
they  fhould  be  uneafy  in  their  minds,  fhould 
they  neglect  thofe  duties,  while  yet  they  can 
go  on  in  the  neglect  of  this,  and  meet  with  little 

or 


4j.6  A   ferious   addrefs  to 

or  no  diftarbance  from  the  refentmentsof  con- 
fcience.  How  far  this  conftant  omifllon  of  du- 
ty, in  Co  important  an  article,  may  confift  with 
the  truth  of  grace,  belongs  only  to  Chrift  to 
determine.  Unhappy  miftakcs,  fcruples,  and 
fears,  relative  to  the  Lord's-Supper,  (which 
may  come  under  confideration  in  their  proper 
place)  will  doubtlefs extenuate  their  fault  :  But 
when  our  Lord  has  fo  clearly  and  fully  made 
known  his  will  upon  this  head,  it  is  difficult  to 
conceive  of  any  thing  that  will  be  fuffirient  to 
difcharge  us  from  the  guilt  of  ingraticude  to 
our  Saviour,  and  the  want  of  a  due  regard 
to  his  authority,  as  our  rightful  ibvereign, 
while  we  make  it  our  praftice  to  turn  away 
from   his  table. 

Another  clafs  of  perfons  dill  may  be 
applied  to  ;  and  they  are  thole  who  pretend 
that  the  (upper  of  the  Lord  is  a  temporary 
appointment,  defigned  for  the  apoftolic  days 
only,  confined  to  them,  and  ceafing  with  them 
as    to  its    ufe     and    obligation. 

To  fuch  it  muft  be  laid,  their  notion  of 
this  matter  is  glaringly  a  miftaken  one.  And 
it  may  with  all  freedom  be  thus  fpoken  of, 
as  the  apoftle  Paul  has  expreftly  allured  us, 
and  upon  previous  inftruction  immediately 
from  Jefus  Chrift   himfelf,   that   the  "  Lord's 

death'! 


fever al    Clajjes  of  People^  $f 

death"  is  to  to  be  "  mewed  forth  until  he 
comes",  i  Cor.  n.  26.  What  is  the  apoftle's 
meaning  in  the  phrafe  he  here  ufes,  "  until 
he  comes"  ?  Surely  he  cannot  intend  the 
coming  of  Chrift  by  his  Spirit  ;  for,  in  this 
fenfe,  he  had  already  come,  and  remarkably 
too  on  the  day  of  penticoft,  when  the  Spirit 
was  poured  out  upon  the  apofthes  in  miracu- 
lous gifts  and  powers.  Neither  could  he 
mean  the  coming  of  Chrift  to  deftroy  Jerufa- 
lem.  This  event,  however  awful  in  its  ef- 
fects upon  the  jewifh  nation,  had  no  immedi- 
ate reference  to  the  gentile  church  at  Corinth; 
There  would  be  no  pertinency  in  the  apoftle's 
arguing  with  this  church,  in  relation  to  their 
obfervance  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  upon  fuch 
an  interpretation  of  his  words,  And  there  is 
no  other  "coming  of  Chrift",  fpokenofin 
fcripture,  but  his  "coming"  at  the  end  of  the 
world,  "in  the  glory  of  his  father,  with  his 
holy  angels*'  when  a  period  will  be  put  to  the 
adminiftration  of  God's  kingdom  in  its  prefent 
form.  So  that,  if  we  may  depend  upon  the 
apoftle  Paul,  the  facramental  fupper  was  not 
a  temporary  inftitution,  but  a  perpetual  one  ; 
not  defigned  for  the  primitive  chriftians  in  the 
Erft  age  only,  but  for  all  chriftians  in  all  ages 
to  the  end  of  the  world.     For  the  death  of 

Chrift 


4$  A   jerious    addrefs   to 

Chrift  is  to  be  "mewed  forth  until  he  come", 
and  he  will  nor  come  until  the  "  myftery  of 
God  isfinifhed",  and  cc  time  fhall  be  no  more". 

Besides,  the  paflfages  of  fcripture  which 
treat  of  this  ordinance  injoin  the  obfervation 
of  it,  and  point  out  the  manner  in  which  it 
fhoutd  be  done,  Were  wrote,  in  the  divine  in- 
tention, for  the  ufe  and  benefit  of  chriftians 
throughout  all  ages,  and  not  for  their's  only  to 
whom  they  were  immediately  directed.  There 
is  no  chriftiarv  in  any  part,  or  age  of  the  world., 
but  is  as  truly  concerned,  as  the  chriftians  at 
Corinth,  in  that  apoftolic  advice,  i  Cor.  i>. 
25,  "let  a  man  examine  himfelf,  and  fo  lee 
him  eat  of  this  bread,  and  drink  of  this 
cup". 

The  end  alfo  propofed  by  our  Savior,  m 
the  appointment  of  this  facred  rite,  is  a  clear 
and  full  proof  that  it  is  of  perpetual  continu- 
ance, and  obligatory  upon  chriftians  in  aft 
ages  until  the  end  of  time.  Whatever  other 
ends  might  be  in  the  view  of  our  Savior,  this 
was  certainly  one,  that  the  remembrance  of 
bis  death,  by  a  figurative  reprefentation  of  it9 
publicly  reeognifed,  might  not  be  forgot,  but 
kept  ftrong  and  vigorous  in  the  minds  of 
chriftians.  And  if  it  was  at  all  needful,  in 
this  way,   to  keep  alive  the  memory  of  Chrift's 

death 


fever al  Claffes  of  People.  49 

3eath,  it  was  furely  as  needful  in  after  ages^ 
as  in  the  firft  days  of  Christianity.  There  was 
indeed  lefs  occafion  for  this  appointment  at 
nVft,  becaufe  lefs  danger  of  a  forgetfulnefs 
of  ChrilVs  death.  In  fucceeding  ages,  there 
would  be  increafed  danger  left  he  mould  be 
forgot.  And  that  the  remembrance  of  him 
might  be  preferved,  continued,  and  upheld, 
he  inllituted  this  memorial.  So  that  it  was 
more  efpecially  defigned  for  after  ages, 
who,  by  this  emblematical  reprefentation  of 
him  as  crucified  and  (lain,  might  have  the 
reality  of  this  fa£l,  the  great  foundation  of  the 
chriftian  fcheme,  lively  in  their  minds.  The 
longer  it  is  fince  Chrift's  body  was  broken, 
and  his  blood  fried,  the  more  need  there  is 
of  this  memorial  of  it  *,  and  there  will  be  need 
of  it,  and  continually  increafing  need,  until 
time  (hail  bt  no  more.  His  death  therefore 
mud  be  tc  fhewed  forth,"  in  the  way  of  di- 
vine appointment,  "  until  he  comes."  The 
obligation  to  this,  in  (lead  of  being  lefTen- 
ed,  grows  ftronger,  in  proportion  to  the  dif- 
tance  from  the  time  of  his  death,  as  a  fa- 
crifice  for    fin. 

It  may  be  added  to  what  has  been  faiJ, 
that  the  ordinance  of  the  fupper  is  as  fuitably 
and  powerfully  adapted,  in  its  nature,  to  be 

G  beneficial 


5$  A   Jericus   addrcfs    to 

beneficial  to  chriPiians  in  all  ages,  as  in  the  firft- 
days  of  the  gofpel.       It  offers  the  fame   occa- 
fion,  by  figurative,  yet  expreffive  figns,  for  con- 
templation on  ihe   mod  affecling  and  intereft- 
ing  objects.     It  has  the  fame  virtue  it  ever  had, 
and  will  retain  ir,  in  all  future  time,  to   awak- 
en   the    attention,     to    excite     affection,     to 
melt      the     hearr,      and,        in    a      word,    to 
beget    and  confirm    every     real    principle   of 
goodnefs  in  the    foul;      It    has    all  along    been 
productive    of  thefe    happy    effects,    it     (till 
produces   them,    and  is    equally   fitted  to    an- 
Iwer  fo  valuable  an  end    in   time  yet  to  come. 
Why    then    fhould    the  ufe  of  this  ordinance 
be   difcon tin ued  ?  Why  fhould    it  be  though! 
a   temporary    one  ?     There  is   the   fame    rea- 
fon    for    lis    being  a   perpetual  appointment, 
as  for  its    being    an    appointment   at  all.     It 
is    equally    fitted  for   the  ufe  of  chriiiians    at 
all    times,    and     may  be,     unlefs    from     their 
own    Fa-u.ltinefs,  of  !?ke    benefit   to  them.     Ir. 
would    Therefore    be    a    difliotfour    to     Chriflv 
by   putting   an    undue  limitation  on   his  good- 
nefs   to    his     church,    to    fuppofe,     that     he 
inould    defg  1  ib  u.fcFul,  fo  beneficial  an    infli- 
ction   for   his  difciples  only   in    the  firft:  age, 
*ben    they  all,  in   all    ages,   might    reap  the 
fame  fpiritual  profit  therefrom. 

There 


feveral    Claffes   cf    People.  51 

There  is  yet  another  fort  of  perfons  to 
be  fpoken  to,  the  fearful  and  fcrupulous, 
thofe  who  labor  of  doubts,  and  have  their 
minds  perplexed  with  difficulties.  But,  as 
my  defiga  here  is,  to  be  particular  and  full, 
that  I  may,  if  pofiiole  remove  out  of  the 
minds  of  this  kind  of  perfons  all  fcruples  and 
fears,  that  they  may  come  with  comfort 
and  pleafure  to  the  Lord's  table,  I  mud 
defer  what  I  have  to  fay,  until  fome  fur- 
ther opportunity,  if  God  (hill  pleafe  to 
grant    it. 

In  the  meam  time,  let  us  be  thankful 
to  Chrift,  that,  before  he  left  the  world, 
he  was  fo  concerned  for  the  good  of  thofe, 
who  mould  be  his  difciples,  in  all  after- 
time,  as  to  inftitute  the  fupper,  a  mean  hap- 
pily calculated  to  promote  their  edification 
in  faith,  love,  and  all  chriftian  graces.  We 
fhould  not  be  fo  infenfible  of  our  own  fp'ri- 
tual  profit,  or  of  the  bonds  we  a>e  under  of 
gratitude  to  Chrift,  as  to  treat  this  appoint* 
ment  of  his  love  with  neglect. 

Let    us  alfo,  from  what  has  been  faid,   be 
confirmed   in  our    belief  of  the  perpetuity    of 

the 


§t  A  ferious    addrefs   to 

the  chriftian  church.  If  the  ordinance  of 
the  fupp  r  was  intended  for  a  perpetually 
continuing  one,  there  will  be  a  perpetual  fuc- 
ceffion  of  chriftians  to  attend  the  celebration 
of  it.  As  furely  as  Chrift  defigned,  that  his 
death  (hould  be  tc  (hewed  forth  until  he 
comes",  fo  furely  will  he  have  a  church  on 
earth  to  do  this,  until  the  commencement  of 
this  fignai  time.  There  may  be  a  failure,  a 
total  failure,  of  chriftians  in  name,  as  well  as 
reality,  in  this  and  the  other  nation  -,  while 
vet  he  may  have  a  church  in  the  "world  ; 
And  he  will  perpetually  have  a  fucceiTion  of 
difciples  to  recognife  the  memory  of  his  death, 
in  the  manner  he  has  appointed,  who,  by  this, 
among  other  means,  mall  be  built  up  in  faitK 
and  comfort,  until  the  confummation  of  all 
things  :  Nor  (hall  the  combined  powets  of 
earth  and  hell  be   able   to  prevent   it. 

Let  us  likewife  be  firmly  peifuaded,  that 
thofe  are  under  the  influence  of  delufive  er- 
ror, who  imagine  th-y  are  above  the  u(e  of 
the  ordinance  of  the  fupper.  Whatever  mea» 
fures  of  the  Spirit  fuch  may  pretend  to  above  o- 
thers,they  arenot  under  his  guidance  in  this  mat- 
ter.   None  among  the  followers  of  Chrift  ever 

yes 


various   Clajfes  of  People.  53 

.vet  attained  to  fuch  perfection  in  this  life,  as  to 
have  no  need  of  this  inftitution  of  his,  which 
will  remain  in  force  "until  he  comes". 
And  is  Chrift  already  come,  a  fecond  time  ? 
Have  we  yet  feen  the  defcribed  frgns  of  his 
appearing  ?  We  mud  wait  for  this,  before 
the  Lord's -Supper  may  be  put  by,  as  having 
continued   its   appointed   tinae. 

In  fine,  we  may  properly  take  occafion, 
from  what  has  been  faid,  to  look  and  long 
for  the  happy  privileges  of  heaven.  There 
will,  in  that  blefTed  place,  be  no  ufe  for 
thofe  means,  and  helps,  that  are  neceffary 
in  this  prefent  (late.  Even  the  ordinance 
of  the  fupper  will  be  no  more  celebrated 
after  the  coming  of  Chrift.  In  confequence 
of  this,  there  will  be  an  intire  change  in 
the  manner  of  adminiftration  in  God's  king- 
dom. We  "  fee  now  as  through  a  glali 
darkly"  ;  but  then  we  (hall  "  fee  face  to  face, 
and  know  even  as  we  are  known".  We  now 
enjoy  God  in  the  ufe  of  ordinances  *  we 
mall  then  enjoy  him  in  a  more  immediate 
way.  We  are  now,  after  our  highefl  attain- 
ments, in  the  beft  ufe  of  appointed  means, 
poor,  weak,  imperfect  creatures  •,  we  {hall  then 
b$  advanced  tp  fuch  a  noble  degree  of  per- 
fection 


g4  A  ferious  addrefs    ta 

fe&ion,  as  to  be  able  to  converfe  with  God, 
and  Jefus  Chrift,  ;n  another  and  far  more 
exalted  manner,  fo  as  to  be  completely,  un- 
interruptedly and  eternally  happy.  God 
grant  it  may  be  the  portion  of  us  all, 
through  Jefus  Chrift,  to  him  be  glory. 


AMEN. 


W5 


SERMON 


*      m      m      >&      m      * 


SERMON    III. 


^♦{♦♦J* ♦{♦♦{*  ^^^^*|«^^^^^^^^^.^^^^^ 


Acts.     II.     42. 

u    And  they  continued  Jteadfaftly — in   breaking 
"  of  Bread** 


¥iW      EVERAL  claflfes  of  perfons  have 

%  S  %  been   applied  to,   from  thefe  words, 

iltiM      m    re^aclon  t0   an  attendance   on  the 

facramental  "  breaking  of  bread." 
I  t  remains  to  fpeak  to  the  ferupulous  and 
fearful,  thofe  who  are  kept  from  this  ordinance, 
not  from  a  thcughtlefs,  carelcfs  temper  of  mind, 
much  lefs  an  indulged  contempt  of  the  autho- 
rity of  Jefus  Chrift  j  but  by  reafon  of  doubts 


56  Religiuus  fears   and  fcrupks 

and  difficulties  that  lie  in  the  way  of  their 
obedience  to  it.  Thefe  are  many  and  various. 
ft  fhall  be  my  endeavour  to  take  due  notice  of 
them  all,  fo  far  as  I  am  acquainted  with  thern  ; 
not  ftudy'tng  to  range  them  in  any  nice  order* 
but  rather  bringing  them  to  view  as  they  may 
occur  to  mind. 

The  firft  ground  of  fear  I  would  menti- 
on is,  the  apprehenfioh  many  have  of  forhe 
peculiar  kind  of  fanclity  in  this  ordinance. 
They  imagine  it  to  be  holy  in  a  fenfe  different 
from  that,  in  which  the  other  inftitutions  of 
chfiftianity  are  holy  i  and  arfi  therefore  (eru- 
pulous,  as  to  their  attendance  on  it  -,  while 
yet  they  can,  without  difficulty,  attend  the 
other    appointments   of  gofpel  worfhip. 

In  order  to  remove  away  this  ground  of  feaf, 
I  would  not  fay  a  word  to  lefTcn,  in  the  minds 
of  any,  a  juft  fenfe  of  that  holy  reverence  with 
which  they  fliould  always  approach  to  the 
table  of  the  Lord  •,  but  it  may,  at  the  fame 
time,  be  proper  to  put  perfons  upon  due 
care  to  guard  themfelves  againft  fuperftitious 
notions,  refpecting  the  holinefs  of  the  bread 
and  wine,  of  which  they  eat  and  drink  at  the 
facramental  fupper.  Thefe,  ic  may  be,  are 
the  fource,  at  bottom,  of  the  fcrupulous 
fear   I  am  now  confidering.      It    takes   rife, 


mentioned  and  confidered,  §j 

not  from  juft  fenti merits  of  the  nature,  de- 
fign,  or  tendency  of  the  Lord's-Supper  ;  but 
from  a  mind  tinctured  with  fuperftitious 
awe  and  veneration.  This  is  certainly  the 
truth,  if  we  imagine,  that  holinefs,  in  any  de- 
gree* is  tranfmitted  into  the  bread  and  wine 
by  their  confederation  to  the  facramental  ufe* 
Many,  I  have  reafon  to  think,  entertain  this 
thought  of  the  matter.  But  it  is  intirely  a 
falfe  notion.  The  bread  and  wine  are  no  other- 
wife  holy,  after  their  confecration,  than  as 
they  are  feparated  to  an  holy  ufe,  and  in  this 
way  become  capable  of  being  improved  to 
promote  holinefs  in  us.  The  ordinance  of 
the  fupper  is  not  therefore  holy  in  a  fenfe 
zny  way  different  from  that,  in  which  the 
other  inftitutions  of  religion  are  holy.  They 
are  all  holy,  as  intended,  and  adapted,  to  make 
men  holy,  and  ought  practically  to  be  regard- 
ed without  diftm&ion,  or  difcrimination. 
Surely  we  cannoc,  upon  juft  and  folid  grounds, 
fcrup'e  the  ufe  of  the  facramental  inftitution, 
meerly  becaufe  it  is  an  holy  one,  while  we  free- 
ly ufe  the  other  inftitutions  of  religion,  all 
which  are  holy  alio,  and  in  the  fame  fenfe 
precifeiy  too,  in  which  the  fupper  of  the 
Lord  is  holy.  Yea,  if  the  •«  breaking  and  ear- 
ing of  bread"  at  the  facramental- table,  mould 

H  be 


58  Religious  fears   and  fcruples 

be  eflecmed,  even,  more  holy  than  any  other 
acts  of  inftituted  religion,  it  would  be  fo  far 
From  being  a  good  reafon  why  we  mould  not 
do  this  duty,  that  it  ought  rather  more  pow- 
erfully to  conftrain  us  to  it.  For  why  mould 
the  Lord's  Supper  be  efteerned  more  holy, 
than  the  other  appointments  of  christian  wor- 
fhip  ?  It  can  juftly  be  fo  in  no  fenfe  but  this, 
its  being  better  fitted  to  promote  holinefs  in 
us.  And  fhall  any,  who  profefs  a*  lerious 
fenfe  of  God,  and  the  obligations  of  religion, 
fcruple  the  ufe  of  the  facramental  inftitution 
for  this  reafon.  They  mould  rather  look  up- 
on themftlves  fo  much  the  more  bound  to  a 
faithful,  eonftant,  confeiencious  observance  of 
it:  Yea,  fo  far  as  they  have  it  in  their  view 
to  become  holy,  or  to  be  made  more  fo,  by 
their  attendance  on  the  inftitutions  of  the  gof- 
pcl,  they  mould  be  particular  in  their  care  not 
to  neglect  this,  as  it  is  the  mod  powerfully 
fuited  to  promote  this  good  end. 

I  fhall  fubjoin  here  a  remark  not  unworthy 
of  notice.  It  is  this.  Chriftians,  for  many 
ages,  by  means  of  the  popifh  doctrine  of  tran- 
fubftantiation,  entertained  fuperftitious,  not  to 
fay  idolotrous,  notions  of  the  facramental 
bread  and  wine  ;  fuppofing  that  they  were 
converted  into   the   real  body   and  blood  of 

Jefus 


mentioned  end  conjidered.  59 

]efus  Chrift.  And  though  the  doctrine,  from 
whence  thefe  falfe  notions  took  rife,  h3S,  fince 
the  reformation,  been  di (carded  by  thofe  who 
are  called  proredants  -,  yet  may  it  be  feared, 
whether  Pome  tinflure  uf  the  old  leaven  does 
not  (till  remain  in  the  minds  of  too  many. 
Thus  much,  at  lead,  may  naturally  and  rea- 
fonably  be  fuppofed,  that  chridians,  upon  le- 
perating  from  the  church  of  Rome,  retained 
fo  much  of  their  former  fuperdition,  as  to 
place  too  great  a  difference  between  the  fa- 
cramental  fupper,  and  other  religious  duties. 
For  this  reafon  they  abdained  from  an  at- 
tendance at  the  Lord's  table,  while  they  ob- 
ierved  the  other  inditutions  of  gofpel-wor- 
fli'p  *,  and,  by  this  means,  there  might  be 
propagated,  in  the  minds  of  many,  from  that 
day  to  this,  fuch  a  notion  of  the  peculiar 
holinefs  of  this  ordinance,  as  that  they  are  hardi- 
ly brought  to  pay  a  pra5lical  regard  to  it. 
Whether  this  is  a  jud  account  of  the  matter, 
or  not,  it  is  certain,  however  it  comes  about, 
that  many  ferious  good  people  entertain  mis- 
taken apprehenfions  of  the  holinefs  of  this 
ordinance  \  otherwife  they  would  not  be  indu- 
ced, from  fuch  apprehenfions,  to  abdain  front 
the  ufe  of  it.    It  can,  with  propriety  and  truth, 

be    called   an  holy  ordinance,  only  as   it   was 

appointed 


6o  Religious  feats  and  feruples 

appointed  to  an  holy  purpofe  and  ufe,  and  as 
it  is  a  proper  and  powerful  means  to  make  the 
obervers  of  it  holy,  according  to  man's  mea- 
fure,  as  God  is  holy.  And  furdy,  as  has  been 
laid,  this  is  a  good  reafon  why  we  mould 
join  in  celebrating  the  Lord's-Supper  ;  but  a 
very  bad  one  why  we  fliould  neglect  to  do 
ib.  Surely,  the  reafoning  cannot  be  juft, 
the  lupperof  the  Lord  is  holy,  as  being  a  di- 
vine appointment  happily  calculated  to  make 
men  holy  •,  I  ought  not  therefore  to  be  a  paiv 
taker  at  it,  I  may  not  approach  to  it,  How 
glaringly  abfurd  is  fuch  arguing  as  this!  Where- 
as, the  arguing,  on  ths  contrary,  is  ilriclly 
rioht,  and  ftron^ly  conclude,  the  facrament- 
al-fupper  was  inltituted  with  a  view  to  make 
men  holy,  and  is  powerfully  fitted  to  fuch  a 
purpofe,  it  is  therefore  my  wifdom,  my  intereft* 
my  duty,  to  be  a  partaker  at  it.*,  and  the  more 
holy  it  is,  on  account  of  its  tendency  and  fuita- 
blenefsto  make  men  holy,  the  more  wife  I  (hall 
approve  my  leif,  the  more  I  fhali  confult 
my  trued  inter elt,  the  more  will  my  conduct 
agree  wjth  what  is  right,  prope.r  and  fit, 
while  I  am  inftant,  tteady  and  diligent  in 
paying  a  religious  regard,  in  my  practice,  to 
this  facred  inftitution  of  the  gofpel. 

So   that,  upon  the  whole,  the  fear  any  ferr- 
ous 


mentioned  and  conjtdcred.  fa 

ous,  thoughtful,  chriftians  may  have  on  their 
minds,  relative  to  their  participation  of  the 
LordVSupper,  as  taking  rife  from  the  holi- 
nefs  of  this  rite  of  gofpd  worfhip,  has 
really  no  jufi  foundation.  You  fhould  rather 
fear,  my  brethren,  left  you  mould  difhonour 
Chriil  by  neglecting  a  divinely  appointed 
mean,  and  the  molt  wifely  and  powerfully 
adapted  one,  in  order  to  your  being  holy, 
while  you  neglect  to  give  your  pre  fence  at 
ihe  facramental  table.  You  cannot  indeed 
expect  to  be  holy,  to  be  fure  not  eminent- 
ly lb,  while  you  difufe  this  fpecial  and  pow- 
erful means   in  order   to   it. 

Another  thing    that    keeps    fome    from 
the    gofpel-fupper  is,    a  fear  left    they  fhould 
nut   live   as  may    be    reafonably    expected  of 
thoie,   who  "  eat   and    drink    in    Ch rift's  pre- 
tence" -,  they  tljink,    and   with  great  truth  and 
juftice,    that   all,   who    come  to    the  table  of 
the   Lord,    mould   adcrn    their    character,    as 
the   difciples  of  Chrift,  by  a  well-ordered  con- 
Yerfation  ;  caufing   their  "  light    to  fhine  be- 
fore others,    that,    feeing    their   good    works, 
they  may    glorify    their    father   in    heaven". 
But  they    fear,  left   they  mould    not    "  walk 
worthy  of  the  Lord".     Others,  they   obferve, 
are  too  frequently    faulty^  in  this  regard,  to 


6  2  Rel  i  ferwples 

!  ::p-:ach  of  Chrift,  and  fcandal  of  his  ho- 
ly religion  •,  and,  fearing  left  tl  ^e 
thus  faulty,  they  are  refti titled  :rom  comr 
tti  the  iupper  of  their  Lord  ;  imagining  they 
had  better  be  non-attendants  ar  it,  than  run 
the    hazard    of   this    guilt. 

To   fuch    I    wculd   fay,   your    fear    is  jo  ft, 
es  not  operate  in  a   right  manner.     You 
ought    to  be  "  iealous   eve:    yburfdves  with  a 
godlv  iealoufy"-,   enc:  i   fear,  left  you 

mould    aft    an   unworthy    part,    arid   difhenor 
your  Savior,  by    a    walk    in    the   world  uno¥- 
'  rg   the   go'pel,    and    th  left  pre  effi- 

oritsbon:son   you.      But    their,  i:  fhould 
jr  care  to  govern    the  influence  or   ! 
fear,    lo  as  that.  id  of    h  .    ndrance 

to  you  in  doty,  it  may  rathei  ill  'igorate  veer 
endeavours  to  put  i:  fully  if  practice.  Yo 
fear  is,  left  you  fhould  not  bcv.r  your 'pro- 
it  is  a  fear  mat  well  becomes 
all  the  pro:"eiTors  of  cbrrfl baity.  Bat  what 
ought,  in  true  reafon,  to  be  its  operation  r 
Surely,  not  to  rcftrain  you  from  making  a 
profefinn.  This  would  be  a  counter  aft  ion 
to  i:s  proper  defign,  and  genuine  tendency. 
I:  fhould  rather  put  you  upon  greater  watch- 
fulness, and  circumfpc&ion.  It  fhculd  quick- 
en   your  zeal,  and  make  you  more  earned  and 

refolutc 


mentioned  and  conJuUrttL  61 

rcfolute  in  your  endeavours,  ur.d::  the  ^Wflior 
of  Gwd,  to  behave  in  the  world  with  that 
fobr.etv,  purity,  and  righteoufnefs,  which  be- 
come thole  who  Gc  down  as  gucfts  at  the 
c    of  Chrift. 

It  is  ob;  s  were   a- 

fraid    left    ibofe    who   profelTed  faith  in  Chrift, 
and  were  admitted  to  hf  ias  bread,  which 

is    the     ii  ft  :-:ea     memorial   of    his     broken 
body,  mould   be  omnia  .e    bonds  of 

G?d  that  were   upon   them,  and  live  in  a  man- 
ner unworthy    of  their  character   as  the  difci- 

3  of  Chrift.  But  how  did  their  fear  ope- 
ra:- ?  Not  by  a^vifing  men  to  forbear  p:o- 
ftfting  Chrift,  or  eating  and  drinking  with 
him  at  hi*  table.  Not  a  word  of  this  tendency 
|3  to  b(  me*  with,  any  where  in  the  new-tefta- 
ment.     But,   in  confluence   c  rear,  their 

exhortations  Irene,  to  "hold  faft  the  proftiILn 
of  their  fa::n"  -9  to  l<  take  beexl,  watch  and 
pray*'  5  to  be  diligent  and  laborious,  thac 
their  waik  in  the  world  might  be  "worthy 
of  that  God  who  had  called  them  into  his 
kingdom".  Ao  :  mould  be  the  influence 
of  the  fear  I  am  now  fpeaking  of  5  and  this  will 
be  its  influence,  if.  duly  regulated.  It  will 
not  reftrain  any  from  remembering  the  dying 
love  of  their  Lord,  :n  th:  way  of  his  appoint- 
ment 


64  Religious  fears  and  fcrvpks 

menr,  but  rather  firft  urge  them  to  it,  and 
then  make  them  earned  ard  faithful  in  their 
endeavours  to  behave,  in  all  refpecls,  as  thofc 
ought  to  do,  who  are  admitted  to  fo  near 
communion  with  their  Savior  and  Lord. 

I  shall  not  think  it  either  impertinent,   or 
unfeafonable,    if  I  add  a   word  here  to   thofe 
communicants,  who,  by  their   unguarded,  mif- 
becoming  conduct,    are  the  occafion  of  thaS 
fear  in   the  minds  of  many,  which  reftrains 
them  from  joining  with  their  chriftian  brethren 
in  partaking  of  the  fymbols  of  (Thrift's  body 
<nd  blood.     It  is  too  glaring  a  truth  to  be  dif- 
owned,   that,  among  the  guefts   at  the  facra- 
mental  fupper,  there  are  too  many  who  live  as 
though  they  were  infenfible  of  the  bonds  they 
are    under   to    "  order  their   converfation    in 
fimplicity  and   godly  fincerity,  not   by  flefhly 
wifdom,  but  by  the   grace  of  God"     Inftead 
of  being  bright  examples  of  thofe  virtues  that 
are  ornamental  to  chriftians,   and  honorary  to 
the  religion  they  profefs,  they  arc  too  much  con- 
formed to  this  evil  world,  and  appear  too  like  the 
men  of  ir.     The  plain  truth  is,  the  unhallow- 
ed lives  of  thofe,   who  fit  down  at  the  Lord's 
table,   has   been  a  ftumbling-block  to  many 
ferious,  confiderate,  wcll-difpofed  perfons.  Far 
from  excitiog  them  to  glorify  God  by  the  luftre 


mentioned  and  confidtred.  6$ 

of  thefe  graces,   they  have   rather,  by  their  un- 
chnftian   behavior  of  themfelves,   made   them 
afraid  of  profefTing  Chrift,  left  they  alfo  mould 
be    a  reproach  both  to   him,    and  his  holy  re- 
ligion.    This,  my  brethren,  is  utterly  a  fault. 
We  who  "  call  Chrift  Lord,  Lord,  and  eat  and 
drink  in  his  prefence",  mould  above  all  things 
make   it  our   care    to ,  "-walk  worthy    of  him 
unto   a!)  pleating".     We  mould  keep    at   the 
utmoftdiftance   from  every  thing  vicious   and 
immoral;  and  not  only  fo,  but  mould  be  found 
in  the  practice  of  all  the  virtues   that  are  amia- 
ble and  praife-worthy.     We  mould  be  grave 
and    modeft   in  our   behaviour,  fober  and  ufe- 
ful  in  our  difcourie,  diligent  and  faithful  in  our 
refpective  callings,  juft  and  honeft  in  our   dea- 
lings.    We  mould  daily   live  in  the  exercife  of 
meeknefs,  patience,  faith,  temperance,  humi- 
lity.    We  mould  be  courteous  in  ourconverfe, 
gentle,    kind,  peceable  and  obliging  in  our  car- 
riage ;    and,  as  we  have   opportunity,  mould, 
according    to  our  ability,  "  do  good  to  all  men, 
efpecialiy  to  the  houfhold  of  faith".       In  a  word, 
"whatfoever  things  are  true,  whatfoever  things 
are  honeft,  whatfoever  things  are  juft,  what- 
foever things  are  pure,  whatfoever  things  are 
lovely,    whatfoever  things  are  of  good  report, 
if  there  be  any  virtue,  and  if  there  be  any  praife^ 

I  m 


rr  Religious  feats  and  ft 


we  fhouM  think  on  thefe  thinffs",  lb  think  on* 

rbem  a>  to  exhibit   in   our  lives  a  contpicuous 

exj-rrple   ot   them  :   So  Jhal]  we   honour  our- 

n  :eit    glory  on    our  Saviour  and 

-ter  Jrfus    Chriil  ;  and,  inilead  ot  deterring 

:  >  ::cm  the  table  or"  the  LorJ,  we  fhall,  in 

the  moft  conftniining   manner,  invite  and  urge 

rflcw  W  be  |  is  gueth  at  it. — Buc  to  leave 

U»y  ihould  pleafe  fa  to  call  k. 

An  :r  ji.Tk:j':v    rlill  m  the  way  of  feme 

is  a   fear,  ieit,  if  they   ihould  be    overcome  to 

COdifnit  (in  afcer  they  have  ate  and  drank  at  the 

:-amental    topper,  they  ihould    never  obtain 

ib"  Tr.is  may  not  be  a  difficulty   tha: 

:  perplexed    the  minds  of  many  ;  but  ion  e, 

I  have  reafon  to  think,  are  kept  from  the  LordV 

Su'^rr   through    fear,    taking    r  fe    from   t. 

view  of  the    matter. 

B:  a  feat  altogether  imacinarv.     No- 

the    Bible  g.ves  the  tatft    counte- 
rs: ;e  to  '.:.      Far  Rom  thb,   we  are  aitbred,  in 
:J    book,   "thai   if  any   man   Ihould 
...-".    be  It  before,  or  after,   his    breaking  and 
eating    breaJ   at   the  Jacramemal    table,    "  we 
ate   with  the   father,   Jcfus  the 
teou=,    who    has  been    the    propitiation  fur 
ns*.     And  this  Jcfus,  who  died  a  kewfice 
"greffioo,  has  tuna  :o:l  prerempto- 

rilv 


mentioned  and  confidered.  €j 

v  declared,  in  terms  too  plain  and  e«prcfi  to 
beeafily  nv.funderftood,  that  but  one  fin,  the  fin 
of  blafpheming  th:  holy  Ghoft,  is  excepted 
out  of  toe  gofpel-graot  or  pardoning  mercy. 
Si  that  whatever  our  Tins  may  have  been,  and 
whenfoe7er  committed,  whether  before  or  af- 
ter a  profefnoa  of  Chrift,  and  ea:ing  and  drink- 
ing in  his  prefence,  they  come  within  the  reach 
of  offered,  and  promifed  forgivenefs,  and  (hall 
certainly,  upon  our  repentance,  be  pardoned 
for  the  fake  of  Chrift,  and  on  account  of  that 
atonement  he  has    made  for  the  fins  o;  men. 

It  is  true,  fins  ihat  are  comnrtted  after  tne 
highed  profemon  of  love  to  Chfift,  and  fub- 
jecYion  to  his  authority,  are  aggravated  in 
tneir  guilt  ;  but  whatever  aggravating  circum- 
ftances  attend  them,  they  are  not  fuch  as  will 
obftruft  the  beftowment  of  God's  mercy  in 
tie  remifnon  of  them,  in  regard  of  thofe,  who 
in  the  exercife  of  true  repentance,  repair  to 
him  for  this  blcfnng.  Thofe  words  of  the 
apoftle  Paul  contain  enough  in  then  fjrever 
to  fatisfy  us  of  this,  "where  fin  has  abound- 
ed, grace  does  much  more  abouna"  •,  rhDzsgh 
we  fhould  take  care  we  do  not  abufe  t 
grace,    by    encouraging  ourfelves  to   fin,  that 

God's  grace  in  the  pardon  of  u    may  abound 

towards 


68  Religious  fears  and  ftruples 

towards  us.  This  would  argue  the  bafeft  ich 
gratitude.  Shall  we  be  evil,  becaufe  God  is 
good  ?  God   forbid ! 

It  is  true  likewife,  if  any,  after  fuch  fe- 
rious  imprefTions  as  have  put  them  upon  an 
attendance  "  on  the  word,  breaking  of  bread, 
and  prayer",  relapfe  into  thoughtlefsneis  and 
iecurity,  infomuch  that  they  can  "  fin  wilful- 
ly", and  in  an  habitual  courfe,  "  the  latter  end 
Vith  them  is  worfe  than  the  beginning"  ;  the 
danger  awfully  great,  left  they  fhould  "  fail 
of  the  grace  of  God"  and  be  "  not  again  re- 
newed to  repentance".  But  the  cafe  even  of 
this  kind  of  perfons  is  not  without  all  hope. 
It  is  pofllble  they  may  be  awakned  to  a  juft 
fenfe  of  things,  and  be  brought  to  that  "re- 
pentance which  is  unto  hfc,  not  to  be  repen- 
ted of"  ;  though  their  frate,  it  mud  be  ac- 
knowledged, is  hazardous  •,  as  they  cannot  be 
renewed  by  repentance,  but  with  extreme  difr 
ficulty. 

The  apoftle  Paul  fometimes  fuppofes,  that 
profefibrs  of  religion,  even  thofe  among  them 
-who  have  been  admitted  to  the  higheft  pri- 
vileges of  God's  vifible  kingdom,  may  (hame- 
fully  backflide.  And  what  does  he  fay  here- 
upon ?  Does  he  put  any  upon  neglecting  gof- 

pel  inftitutions  through  fear,   left  they  mould 

afterwards 


mentioned  and  conjidered.  69 

afterwards  relapfe  into  fin  ?  Far  from  this, 
he  advifes  them  to  be  fteady  and  perfevering 
in  the  ufe  of  them  -,  and  to  take  occafion 
from  fear  of  a  relapfe,  to  be  cautious  and  cir- 
cumfpecl,  to  look  well  to  themfelves,  to  be 
upon  thtir  guard,  and  to  hold  out  againft  all 
oppofition  in  the  way  of  well-doing,  that,  be- 
ing faithful  to  the  death,  they  may  obtain 
the  crown  of  eternal  life.  And  this  mould 
be  the  influence  of  our  fear,  refpecling  fin  af- 
ter having  ate  and  drank  at  the  table  of  the 
Chrift.  Inftead  of  keeping  us  from  this  duty, 
it  fhould  keep  us  upon  our  guard,  and  make 
us  the  more  watchful  over  our  hearts  and 
lives. 

Another  difficulty  yet  in  the  way  of  ma- 
ny to  their  attendance  at  the  facramental  fupper 
is,  a  fear  left  they  are  not  prepared  for  fo  fa^ 

cred    an  ordinance. 

To  this  it  might  be  fufficient  to  fay,  the 
duty  of  this  kind  of  perfons  is  To  plain,  as 
not  to  admit  of  difpute.  Thty  mould  in- 
ftantly  fet  about  the  work  of  preparation, 
and  give  themfelves  no  eafe,  until  it  is  accom- 
plifhed  ;  and  the  rather,  becaufe,  if  it  is  the 
real  truth,  that  they  are  eifentially  wanting  in 
a  preparednefs,  in  the  frame  of  their  minds,  for 

an  approach  to  the  table  of  Chrift,   they   can 

have 


;o  Religious  fears  and  fcrupks 

have  no  good  hope  towards  God.  They  are 
unmeet  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  mail 
not  be  admitted  to  fie  down  there,  at  the 
eternal  fupper  of  the  lamb.  And,  Jurely,  this 
is  not  a  ftate  to  be  continued  in  with  peace 
and  quiet   of  foul. 

But,  as  this  difficulty  is  the  mod  common 
one,  and  keeps  a  great  many  from  the  facra- 
mental  table,  I  fhall  be  more  particular  and 
diftincT:  in  offering  what  may  be  fuffkient  to 
remove  it  away. 

You  fay,  you  fear  whether  you  are  pre- 
pared to  eat  bread  and  drink  wice  with 
Chrift  at  his  table  ;  and  your  fear  reftrains 
you  from  attending  this  inftance  of  duty. 
Permit  me  to  afk  you,  what  do  you 
mean  by  this  preparation,  you  are  afraid 
you  are  deftitute  of  ?  This  is  an  important 
queftion  in  the  prefent  cafe,  and  the  true 
anfWer  to  it  will  make  way  for  the  re- 
moval of  all  the  difficulty  that  is  per- 
plexing to  you. 

Do  vou  mean,  when  you  fay  you  are 
not  prepared  for  the  facramenr,  that  your 
{late  in  fuch,  as  that,  if  you  attend  this 
duty,  it  muffc  be  done  with  fome  mixture 
of    frailty    and    imperfection    ?     If    this    is 

what 


mentioned  and  confidered*  j\ 

what  you  mean,  you  are  to  be  plainly  told, 
that  you  will  never  be  able  to  attend  the 
memorial  of  your  Saviour's  death  in  a  man- 
ner perfectly  freed  from  all  mixture  of 
fin.  You  will,  as  long  as  you  live,  con- 
tinue frail  imperfect  creatures  ;  and  God  has 
made  no  provifion  in  the  Gofpel  to  prevent 
it.  If  therefore  you  imagine,  you  muft 
not  corns  to  the  facramenr,  until  you  can 
attend  there  without  any  mixture  of  cor- 
ruption, you  mud  never  come  :  And  mould 
others  think  as  you  do,  neither  would  they 
come  ♦,  the  confequence  of  which  would  be> 
that  the  facramental  fupper  would  have  no 
guefts  to  attend  it  ;  nor  indeed  ought  it  to 
have  any.  The  real  [ruth  is,  our  Lord  ap- 
pointed the  memorial  of  his  death  for  poor, 
weak,  imperfect,  and  finful  creatures,  as  *he 
bed  or  men  always  have  been,  and  always 
will  be  to  the  end  of  the  world.  And 
if  fuch  may  not  remember  the  dying  love 
of  their  Lord,  in  the  way  of  his  ipecial 
appointment,  it  muft  never  be  done  in 
in  this  world,  and  fo  never  done  at  all. 
For  good  men,  in  the  coming  world,  will 
be  above  the  need,  or  ufe,  of  this,  or  any 
other    inftrumental     mean,    as   being  perfect 

in 


;a  Riiigiuiis  fears   and  fcrupks 

in  their  conformity  to  the  image  of  Chrift, 
as  he  is  to  the  image  of  the  invifible 
God. 

Do  you  mean,   when   you   fay  you  are  not 
prepared   for    the    facrament,  that    you   have 
not    as    yet     attained    to    a  confirmed,   well 
eftablifhed   ftate    of  goodnefs  ?    Surely,  this 
Ihould   be    no  bar    in   your  way.     It   ought 
rather     to     be     a    motive    powerfully    con- 
(training   you   to   give  your  inftant  and  con- 
ftant   attendance     on    this   inftitution  of  the 
gofpel.     For  it    was  appointed  by  Crmft,  the 
head  of  his   church,   as    a   wifely   and  fuita- 
bly   adapted,  mean,    among   other  things,    to 
confirm    the     habits    of    grace,    and     make 
them   well   eftablifhed  principles     of  all  vir- 
tuous,  and  chriftian    good  practice    ;     apd  it 
is,   by    the    ufe    of  this  divinely     appointed 
mean    of  grace,    as     well    as    by  the    word, 
that   we    are     to     grow,   from    the    ftate  of 
babes    and    children,    to    that    of    complete 
men    in    Chrift.     You    will  therefore,  not  on- 
ly  difhonour    Chrift,    but   wrong    yourfelves, 
if,   from    fuch    a    miftaken    notion,  you   ne- 
glect your   duty.   The   more   weak   and  im- 
perfect  you  are  in  goodnefs,   the  more  rea- 
ibn  you   have  for  the    ufe   of  this    mean  of 
grace.       How    can    you  ufc   a  more  proper 

or 


mentioned  and   confidered.  73 

powerful  method  to  grow  up  to  the  cc  full- 
nefs  of  Chrift".  You  would,  if  you  were 
conftant,  and  confciencious  in  this  near 
approach  to  God,  and  intimate  communion  with 
Chrift,  be  formed  more  and  more  to  the  tem- 
per of  heaven,  and  a  meetnefs  for  the  im- 
ployments  and  injoyments  of  that  blefTed 
world.  Sin  would  continually  grow  weak- 
er and  weaker,  and  grace  ftronger  and 
ftronger.  In  a  word,  by  thus  commemo- 
rating the  love  of  your  Saviour,  yoti  would 
ufe  a  divinely  appointed  mean,  to  ftrength- 
en  your  pious  refolutions,  invigorate  your 
virtuous  principles,  and  animate  your  up- 
right endeavours  to  grow  in  a  likenefs  to 
God,  and  Jelus  Chrift,  and  every  thing 
that   is  fpiritually   good. 

Do  you  mean  when  fay  you  are  not 
prepared  for  the  facrament,  that  you 
are  ignorant  of  its  nature,  or  of  the 
manner  in  which  you  (hould  attend  at  it  ? 
and,  not  having  fufticient  knowledge  re- 
lative to  this  inftitution  of  religion,  you 
fear  you    {hould   do    ill    to   come    to   it. 

The  anfwer  here  is  eafie  and  fhort. 
If  yob  are  in  earned  in  fpeaking  of  this 
as  a  difficulty,  and  it  is  the  real  truth 
that    vou    are  thus    ignorant,     there  is    no 


y.i  Religious  fears  and  fcrupks 

need  you  fhould  long  continue  fo,  and 
the  fault  w;ll  be  your  own  if  you  do. 
You  are  favcred  with  all  advantages,  in 
order  to  gain  a  fufficiency  of  knowledge, 
with  reference  to  the  facrament.  You 
have  the  bible  in  your  hands,  which  re- 
cords its  infticution,  explains  its  nature 
and  defign,  and  diredts  as  to  the  man- 
ner of  attending  at  it.  You  have  like- 
wife,  within  your  reach,  a  variety  of  va- 
luable books,  purpofely  wrote  by  the 
bed  of  men,  for  your  help  in  under- 
ftanding  the  fcripture  upon  this  head. 
You  may  alfo  repair,  whenever  you  pleafe, 
to  chriftian  friends  and  minifters,  for  all 
needed  inftfuction.  And  if  under  the  en- 
joyment of  fuch  advantages  as  thefe,  you 
continue  ignorant,  the  fault  will  be  your 
own,  and  it  will  be  inexcufably  great.  It 
will  indeed  be  evident,  that  this  difficulty, 
with  which  you  excufe  yourfelves  from 
coming  to  the  facrament,  is  a  meer  pre- 
tence. It  will  furely  be  fo  tfteemed  by 
your  Saviour,  who  will  alfo  be  your  Judge 
in   the    great    day   of  reckoning. 

Do  you  mean,  when  you  fay  you  fear 
whether  you  are  prepared  for  the  facra- 
menr,    that   your   fear   is,    whether   you  are 

the 


mentioned  and  confidered,  75 

the  fubje&s  of  the  faving  grace  of  God, 
and  fo  think  you  had  better  flay  away 
from  this  ordinance,  until  you  are  mors 
free  from    doubt   upon     this   head. 

To    such,     as    it     is     my    defign      more 
largely    to     confider    this     difficulty     by     its 
felf  in    its   proper   place,    I   (hall     oniy     fay 
at    prefent,  It   may   be  your   fear,   left    you 
have   not  been  partakers   of  the  grace  of  God 
in  truth,    is     a  falfe    one.     You    may,    not- 
withstanding  this   fear,     have    '*  palled    from 
death    to  life,"      and    be    known    by    Chnft 
to    be    in    the   number    of    thofe    who    are 
his      in      the     fpecial    and     eminent    fenfe. 
Many,   among    the      true    fearers    of    God, 
have  lived,   and  died,    under    the  prevailence 
of  uncomfortable  fears,  refpecYing   their    fpi- 
rkual    ftate.      It   is    therefore    no   fure  argu- 
ment,   that   you    have    not    been    formed    to 
a     likenefs     to     God,     in   his     moral    glcry, 
that    you   have   no   lively  perceptions   of   it, 
but   rather   conflict    with    doubts    and   fears, 
left   this   fhould    not     be    the   truth  of  your 
cafe.     And   let    me    further    fay     here,     the 
moft  likely   way    you  can  take   for    the    re- 
moval    ©f    your    doubts    and    fears,     is,    to 
give  your  attendance    inftantly,  and  to  conti- 
nue   it   ftatedly,     at    the    facramental   table. 


j6  Religious  feats  and  fcrupks 

What,  matter  of  wonder  is  it,  you  ftiould 
be  in  doubt  about  the  goodnefs  of  your 
ftate,  while  you  habitually  neglect  your 
duty  in  as  plain  and  evident  an  article,  as 
any  in  all  the  bible  ?  God  may  be  difpleafed 
with  this  fin  of  yours,  and  "  hide  his 
face"  from  you.  And  what  is  alfo  wor- 
thy of  ferious  confiderations  while  you 
neglect  the  facrament,  you  neglect  a  mean  of 
grace  happily  and  powerfully  fuitedtogiveyou 
fuch  views  of  the  love  of  Chrift,  as  may  excite 
the  exercife  of  love  to  him,  in  a  degree 
enabling  you  to  fay,  ''Lord,  thou  knoweft 
that  I  love  thee."  There  are,  among  fe- 
rious  good  chriftians,  who  can  telj  you, 
they  have  come  away  from  the  facrament 
with  a  refrefhing  fenfe  of  their  intereft  in 
the  dying  love  of  their  Saviour,  though 
they  have  gone  to  it  in  darkntfs  and  per- 
plexity. 

But  let  it  be  fuppofed,  that  you  are 
rfot  as  yet  in  what  the  fcripture  calls  a 
regenerate  ftate,  is  there  nothing,  at  the 
facramental  table,  that  is  fitted  to  beget  in 
you  the  life  of  God,  and  true  holinefs  ? 
Have  theie  never  been  instances  of  thofe, 
in  whom    the     work   of  grace    was     begun 

with 


mentioned  and  conjidered.  jy 

with  power,  by  means  of  a  crucified  Chrift, 
here  exhibited  to  open  view  ?  And  why 
may  not  you  alfo  be  thus  effectually 
wrought  upon,  under  the  influence  of  di- 
vine grace  I  There  is  nothing,  my  hear- 
ers, that  can  operate  upon  the  human 
mind,  in  a  way  of  means,  to  faving  pur- 
pofe,  but  what  is  held  forth  plainly,  though 
by  figurative  figns,  at  the  facramentai 
table.  And  the  truths  here  preached  may 
as  well  have  their  operation  while  you  are 
here,  as  at  any  ether  time,  or  in  any  other 
place. 

I  would  not,  by  what  I  now  fay,  be 
underftood  to  encourage  thofe  to  come  to 
the  ordinance  of  the  fupper,  who  are 
thoughtlefs  and  unconcerned,  infenfible  of 
fin,  and  unrefolved  as  to  putting  themfelves 
under  the  guidance,  inftru&ion,  and  go- 
vernment of  Chrift.  But  this  is  far  from 
being  the  cafe  of  thofe  I  am  fpeaking  to. 
Their  fear  of  coming  to  the  facrarnent,  left 
they  mould  come  in  an  unprepared  man- 
ner, fufficiently  difcovers  their  temper  of 
mind  ;  indicating  it  to  be  religious,  if  not 
gracious.  They  would  not  offend  God  ;  they 
had  rather     omit  duty,    than     do  it     under 

the   apprchenfion   they     mould    hereby    dif- 

pleafe 


78  Religious  fears  and  fcruples 

pleafe  him.  They  are  the  fubjects  of  a 
ferious,  if  not  a  faving  fenfe  of  God  and 
divine  things.  1c  is  their  concern,  that 
they  might  honour  and  ferve  him  ;  and 
that  they  do  not  do  it  in  the  article  un- 
der confideration  is  owing,  rather  to  their 
reverence  of  the  divine  majefty,  that  the 
want  of  regard  to  his  governing  autho- 
rity. 

And  are  perfons  of  this  character  eOen- 
tially  defective  in  their  preparation  for  an 
attendance  at  the  table  of  the  Lord  ?  It 
ought  not  to  be  fuppofed.  It  may  rather 
be  thought,  they  will  be  efteemed  by  our 
Saviour  welcome  guefts.  They  had  cer- 
tainly better  wait  upon  Chrift  at  this  ordi- 
nance, with  this  preparation,  than  totally 
abfent    themfelves    from  it. 

You  fay,  you  are  afraid  to  come  to  the 
facrament,  left  you  mould  come  being  un- 
prepared for  this  facred  duty.  Lee  me 
afk  you  hereupon,  have  you  no  fear  upon 
your  fpirit,  as  taking  rife  from  a  total  neg- 
lect of  this  gofpel-appointment  ?  Is  there 
no  fin,  or  danger,  in  a  continued  courfe 
of  practically  throwing  difregard  upon  as  ex- 
prefs  an  inftitution  of  Jefus  Chrift,    as  any  in 

the  facred    books  ?    There   certainly    is,   my 

friend  s^ 


mentioned  and  conftdered.  jy 

friends,  both  fin  and  danger  in  neglecting  to 
remember  the  dying  love  of  Chrift  in  the  way 
of  his  appointment ;  and  both  the  fin  and 
danger  of  this  neglect,  continued  in  from  one 
period  of  life  to  another,  are  much  greater, 
and  ought  therefore  to  be  much  more 
feared,  than  a  meer  defect  in  the  degree  of 
preparation.  Let  it  be  acknowledged,  it  is 
a  fault  to  come  to  the  facrament,  unlefs  we 
are  in  fome  good  meafure  prepared  in  the 
habitual  frame  of  our  minds  •,  but  it  is  a  fault 
likewife,  and  a  much  greater  one,  totally 
to  abftain  from  it.  Our  wifdom  and  duty 
therefore  is,  neither  abftain  from  it,  nor  to 
come  to  it,  but  with  a  mind  fo  far  prepa- 
red for  it,  as  that  ic  may  be  our  ferious  and 
upright  ckfire  and  endeavour  to  honor  our 
Savior,  and  reap  advantage  to  our  own  fouls. 
And  let  me  add  here,  none  are  more  like- 
ly to  come  in  this  prepared  manner,  than 
thofe  who  fear  to  come,  left  they  mould  be 
unprepared.  This  fear  will  influence  them 
to  a  becoming  care,  that  they  may  eat  of  this 
bread  and  drink  of  this  cup,  not  in  a  thought- 
lefs,  cuftomary  manner,  but  in  a  religious 
frame  of  mind,  as  thofe  who  diftinguifh  be- 
tween the  facramental,  and  common  bread 
and    wine,   looking   upon   them   as  the   fym- 

bofa 


So  Religious  fears  and  ferupks 

bols  of  Chrift's  body  and  blood,  and  parta- 
king of  them  as  fuch,  in  the  exercife  of 
faith  affection,  zeal,  and  hearty  defires 
to  be  fpiritually  benefitted  by  them.  It 
were  to  be  wiftied,  all  that  come  to  this 
ordinance  would  come  with  this  preparation 
of  mind.  It  would,  in  this  cafe,  be  better 
attended  than  it  commonly  is,  more  to  the 
glory  of  God  through  Chrift,  and  more  to 
the  edification  of  communicants  in  faith,  and 
love,  and   comfort. 

There  are  yet  other  difficulties  to  be 
mentioned.  But  thefe  muft  be  referred  to 
fome  other  opportunity.  The  good  Lord 
blefs  what  has  been  faid,  that  it  may  be  be- 
neficial to  us. 


A        M        EN, 


SERMON 


*         &         5K         3K         *        4* 


S    E    R    M    O    N    IV. 


Atts.     II.     42. 

*'    And  they  continued  fteadfaftly—in   breaking 
"  of  Bread19 

}fiz%  Have  taken  occafion,  from  thefe  words, 
3e  l  %  t-o  apply  to   feveral    forts    of  perfons, 

¥*?&  id  reference  to  their  celebration  of 
the  facramental-fupper.  The  laft  I  fpake  to 
were  thofe,  who  would  gladly  remember  their 
Savior  and  Lord  in  this  way  of  his  appoint- 
ment, but  that  they  are  hindered  by  various 
perplexing  doubts  and  fears.  Some  of  thefe 
I  have  already  mentioned,  and  endeavoured 
io  remove. 

L  Th| 


Sz  Religious  fears  and  fcruples 

The  next  difficulty,  which  I  now  proceed 
to  confider,  arifes  from  a  fear  forne  have, 
left  they  fhouldnot  eat  and  drink  at  the  fupper 
of  their  Lord  in  that  spiritual  manner, 
without  which  they  mould  only  fin,  if  they 
fhoukl  be  gntfts  at  it.  They  imagine,  they 
muft  be  the  fubjeds  of  spiritual  life,  or 
they  cannot  take  of  the  bread,  or  wine  -r 
or  eat  of  the  cne,  or  drink  of  the  other, 
in  the  exercife  of  that  faith  and  love,  with- 
out which  they  mould  rather  prophane  the 
ordinance,  than  to  attend  on  it  to  the  honor 
of  Chrift,  or  the  profit  of  their  own  fouls. 
They  had  therefore,  they  conclude,  better  (lay 
trom  it,  until  they  are  made  fpiritually  "  alive 
to    God    through  ChrifT. 

It  is  obvious  to  fay  in  reply  here,  that 
no  one  can  pray  to  God,  read,  or  hear  his 
word,  or  perform  any  religious  duty  in  a  fpi- 
ritual  manner,  unlek  he  is  the  fubjed  of  fpi- 
ritual  life.  Fear  therefore,  as  taking  rile 
meerly  from  an  apprehended  want  of  this 
life,  if  confident  and  uniform  in  its  operati- 
on, will  reft  rain  perfons  from  evety  inftance 
of  piety,  as  well  as  this  of  remembring  their 
Saviour  at  the  facrament.  They  ought  in- 
deed, upon  this  principle,  no  more  to  pray, 
or  hear  God's  word,  or  attend  on  any  infti- 
tution   of  religion,  than   this  of  the  Supper, 

for 


mentioned  and  confidertd.  83 

For,    ngt    being    poiTeffed     of     fpi ritual    life, 
they  can    no    more    perform    the     former    cf 
ihefe   duties    in   the   fpiritual   feiSz^  than   the 
latter.      And    what   are   we   now   brought    to 
in  real    confequence  ?  Religion,  in  ail  Us  bran- 
ches,   mu ft     be    neglected,    by    all    who   have 
not    H  patted  from  dca.h  to   life".     And   does 
this    comport",    in    any   meafure,  with    the   re- 
quirements of  the  gofpel  ?    Was  it    the    view 
of  God,  in  inftituting   the  means  of  religion, 
that    that  they  mould  not  be  ufed,    until  one 
of  the  main  ends,  propofed  by   them  is  effec- 
tually  anfwered    without   them  ?   Was  it  his 
defign,  that  perfons  mould  fit  idle,  and  do  no- 
thing,   until,  by    the    power    of  his    grace? 
thry    are  changed  into  "  new-men  in   Chnft"  I 
The  holy   Bible,    that  infallible    rule  of  direc- 
tion,  no    where   fuggefts    any    thing   to   this 
purpofe.      On  the   contrary,  it  puts  men  up- 
on the  ufe  of  means  as  the  way,  and  the  only 
way,  in  which  they    may   expect  to  be    made 
"partakers  of  the  divine  nature".     The  "clean 
heart",  and   the  "  right-fpirii",   are,   upon  the 
gofpel    plan    of  mercy,    obtainable    bleffings. 
But    how  are  they  to   be  obtained  ?   Says  the 
anfwer  of  God    himfelf,   "  I  will   be   inquired 
of  to  do   this  for  you".     And  that  is   the  ad- 
vice of  our  Savior  Jefus   Chrift,   not   to  thofc 

orJy 


84  Religious  fears  and  fcrupks 

only  who  had  grace  already,  but  to  cbofe  al~ 
io  who  had  it  not,  "  afk,  and.  ye  ill  all  re- 
ceive •,  feek,  and  ye  fliall  find  -,  knock,  an4 
it  fhali  be  opened  to  you".  And  Simon 
Magus,  though  at  prefenc  deftkute  of  a  prin- 
ciple of  fpiritual  life,  was  yet  directed  by 
an  infpired  apoftie  "to  pray  God  if  perhaps 
he  might  be  forgiven".  Meerly  the  wane 
of  a  fpiritual  principle  cannot  therefore  be  a 
good  reafon,  why  we  mould  not  be  in  the 
ufe  of  any  inftituted  mean  or  religion,  If 
it  is,  thofe  ought  not  to  pray,  who  are  not 
fpiritually  alive  to  God.  For  they  can  no 
more  fpiritually  perform  this  duty,  than  any 
other ;  and  if  duty  may  not  be  performed, 
vinlefs  fpiritually  performed,  they  may  no 
more  pray  than  "  break  bread"  at  the  Lord's 
table.  But  perfons,  not  fpiritually  alive,  are 
not  only  allowed,  but  exprelsly  directed,  even 
by  God  himfelf,  to  pray  to  him  :  From 
whence  it  unqueftionably  appears,  that  meer- 
ly the  want  of  fpirimal  life  is  not  a  valid 
reafon,  why  duty,  in  any  inftancc  whatever, 
may   not  be  attended. 

There  are,  my  brethren,  other  princi- 
ples, befides  that  of  fpiritual  life,  from  which 
perfons  may  perform  duty.  They  may  do 
it  from   a  principle   of  fear,  u  being  perfua- 

ded 


mentioned  and  ccn/ideredi  S5 

ded  thereto  by  the  terrors  of  the  Lord"  ;  they 
may  do  it  from  a  principle  of  hope,  expedt- 
ing  in  this  way  to  obtain  the  divine  favour  •, 
they  may  do  ir  from  a  principle  of  obedi- 
ence, as  having  their  minds  .imp  re  (Ted  with  a 
ferious  deep  fenfe  of  the  bonds  of  God  that 
'are  upon  them ;  yea,  they  may  do  ft  from 
a  principle  of  faith  that  is  real,  though  ir. 
ihould  fall  fhort  of  that  which  is  faving  : 
All  which  are  good  principles  of  action, 
though  not  the   highefb,  and  bed. 

And,  in  confequence  of  thefe  principles, 
that  are  good  in  themfclves,  they  may  per- 
form duty  alfo  in  a  manner  morally,  if  not 
fpiritually,  good  ;  they  may  do  it  heartily, 
in  opposition  to  hypocrify  ;  they  m£y  do  it 
earneftly,  in  oppofition  to  heedlefsnefs  and 
formality  \  they  may  do  it  with  awakened 
affections,  in  oppofition  to  dulnefs  and  cold- 
nefs  ;  yea,  they  may  do  it  in  the  exercife 
of  a  real  faith  in  God,  and  in  his  Son 
Jefus  Chrift,  though  their  faith  mould  not 
be  that  precious  faith,  which  is  peculiar  to 
thejuftified  through  the  redemption  that  is 
in    Jefus    Chrift. 

And  as  duty  in  general,  and  as  it  re- 
fpedfs  the  "  breaking  of  bread"  at  the 
•liOrcTs-table  in  particular,  may  be  performed 

from 


o6  ReHgious  feats  and  fcrupks 

from  fuch  principles,  and  in  fuch  a  manner, 
fhali  any  live  in  the  omiffion  of  it  meerly, 
or  only,  becaufe  they  cannot  perform  ic 
from  a  principle,  and  in  a  manner,  ffill 
higher  and  more  noble  ?  This,  finely,  is 
not  right,  It  cannot  be  juftidtd,  either  up- 
on the   foot   of    reafon,   or    revelation. 

It   is   readily    acknowledged,     when     men, 
befides  being   deihtute  of  a    fpiritual    princi- 
ple,   have   fo  little   fenfe  of  the  ,  nature    and 
obligations  of  religion,    as  that    they    can     at- 
tend   it's  duties    in    a     thoughtlefs,     carelefs, 
cuftomary   manner  •,    or  engage  in  the  perfor- 
mance of  them,  only  that   they    may  be  in  the 
fafhion,  or    with  a  view    to  wear  a  cloak    for 
reputation,  or  that   they   might  the    more    ad- 
Vantageoufly  carry  on    their   worldly  and  car- 
nal  dcfigns  :  I    fay,  when,    befides  the   meer 
wane  of  fpiritual    life,  perfons   are    in  a  dilpo- 
fition  thus  to   attend  duty,   they    had  as   well 
not  do  it  all.     Perhaps,  it  would  be  lefs  dif- 
honorary   to  God,  to  omit  it,  than  to  perform 
h    thus   heedlefsly   and   hypocritically.       But 
Ihall  the    fame   be   faid  of    that  performance 
of  it  before  deferibed   ?    Shall     thofe,     who, 
though  they  are  not  fpiritually  alive,  yet  have 
Upon  their  minds  a  ferious   fenfe  of  God  and 
religion,   and   can  attend  it*s  duties  with  earn- 

eftntfs, 


mentioned  and  confidtred.  $y 

effnefs,     affecYion,     and   faith  •,    (hall   fuch  as 
thefe  difcourage  themfelves   herefrom,    or   be 
difcouraged   by    others  ?  It  ought  not   to  be. 
There  is  certainly  a  wide   difference  between 
thoughtlefs,  fenfelefs,  fecure  finncrs,  and  thofe 
who  are  earneftly   concerned  about  the  great 
affairs  of  religion,    who  are  difpofed  to    feek 
God  with   their  heart,  and    to    wait  upon  him 
in    all  the  ways  of  his  appointment,  that  they 
may    be  favingly  enlightned,  and  qiickned    by 
him.     The    prayers    of  the     former  may    be 
abomination    to    him,    much  more   a   partici- 
pation of  the    fymbols   of  Chrifl's   body   and 
blood  ;   while  he   may  regard  the  former,  ap- 
proving  of  their    endeavocrs,  in    the   ufe  of 
the    means    he  has  appointed,  in  order  to  their 
being     fpiritually    bleffed    by    him.     Did  our 
Savior  Jefus  Chrift  ever  difcourage  fuch  from 
coming  to   him  ?  Was  he  not   rather  moved 
with  compafilon  towards   them  ?  Was    he  not 
particularly    urgent    with    them  to    "  to  feek 
God   that    he   might    be  found     of  them  "  ? 
And  were  there  none  in  the  apoftles  days,  not 
better  qualified,  who  fat  down  at  the  facramen- 
tal   fupper  ?    Thofe  holy   men  of  God  gladly 
admitted  multitudes  of  this   fort  to   commu- 
nion   with   them    in    u  breaking  of  bread'*. 
And  could   they  now  fpeak  from  the  excel- 
lent 


IS  Licit,  v/us  ftars   and  firupks 

lent  glory,  I  doubt  not  but  they  would  fay, 
their  rears  were  groundless  ;  they  ought  to 
get  the  better  of  them,  and  not  iutTer  them- 
Iclvts,  any  longer,  to  be  detained  from  fo  ad- 
vantageous a  mean  of  religion  as  that  of  the 
facramenul    fupper.      And    this    leacis    me 

To  another  difficulty  in    trie   way  of  fome ; 
and   this   is,   an    apprehenfion    of  the   Lord's- 
Supper  as   intended,   in   it's   appointment,  for 
thofe   only  who   are  partakers   of  the  grace  of 
God  in     the  fpecial,  or    faving,    fenfe.     The 
ordinance,   fay    they,  is    a  privilege   appropri- 
ated to  perfons  of  this   character.     No  other 
have  a  right  to  it  •,    and  fhould   they  lay  in  a 
claim,  it  would  be  in  the  view  of  God  nothing 
better  than  prefumption.    And  as  we  are  in  doubt, 
whether   our  faith  is  that  by  which    "  the juft 
fhall  do  live",    we  doubt  our  having  a  right 
to    the  facrament,  and  fo  had  better  ftay  from 
it,   until  we  are   well  fatisrud  that  we  are    be- 
lievers   unto   life.     This  is  a  difficulty  that  has 
often    layn    heavy  upon  the  minds  of  too  ma- 
ny; either   keeping    them   from   the  table  of 
the  Lord,     or     making  their   prefence    there 
uncomfortable,  if  not,  at  times,  greatly  diflrei- 
fing.     To  fuch  I   would  fay, 

If  it  is  indeed  the  truth,  that  the    facrament- 
al  fupper  is  defigned  for  thofe  only  who  are  en- 
dowed 


mentioned  and  confidered.  89 

dowed  with  faving  grace,none  but  fuch  ought  to 
come  to  it  :  Nor  ought  any  other  to  be  en- 
couraged to  do  fo.  This  is  a  plain  cafe* 
fo  plain  as  not  to  admit  of  difpute.  And 
as  their  right  to  come,  is,  upon  this  fuppo- 
fition,  cffentially  connected  with  their  being 
the  iubjccts  of  true  grace,  they  rauft  be  well 
fatisfied  they  have  this  grace,  or  they  cannot, 
upon  juft  and  folid  grounds,  be  fatisfied  that 
they  have  this  rightr  Grace  and  right  are, 
in  the  prefent  cafe,  fo  related  to  each  other, 
that  wherever  there  is  the  want  of  the  one, 
there  cannot  be  the  other.  And  fhould  any 
be  in  doubt,  as  to  the  truth  of  their  grace, 
they  mud,  in  the  fame  degree,  be  in  doubc 
as  to  the  validity  of  their  claim  to  this  ordi- 
nance. And  to  fpeak  plainly,  and  without 
difguife,  I  muft  freely  confefs,  I  cannot  fee 
how  any,  who  connect  a  right  to  the  Lord's- 
Supper  with  the  real  truth  of  Grace,  can, 
with  a  good  confcience,  come  to  it,  unlefs 
they  are  clearly  fatisfied  in  their  minds,  that 
they  are  partakers  of  that  unfeigned  faith, 
which  is  proper  only  to  the  redeemed  unto 
God  by  the  blood  ofChrift.  And  was  there 
no  other  reafon  to  queftion,  whether  it  is  a 
truth,  that  the  facramental  fupper  is  appro- 
priated to   thofe  only    who  are    believers  in 

M  the 


go  Religious  fears  and  Jcrupks 

the  faving  fenfe,  infomuch  that  none  elfe  may 
warrantable  come  to  it,  this  I  fhould  efteem  a 
very  good  one.  For  who  then  would  eat 
and  drink  at  the  Lord's  table,  but  thpfe  who 
had  fome  good  degree  of  aflurance,  refpeft- 
ing  the  fafety  of  their  fpiritual  ftate  ?  And  how 
few,  alas,  are  thefe  ?  It  is  truly  a  rare  thing 
to  meet  with  chriftians  that  have  got  above 
doubts  and  fears,  relative  to  the  goodnefs  of 
their  character  in  the  gofpel  eftimation.  The 
table  of  the  Lord  mult  confequently,  upon 
the  impleaded  fuppofition,  be  furprifingly 
thin  of  guefts  ;  unlefs  thofe  fhould  appear  at 
it,  who  had  no  right  to  be  there,  or,  what 
amounts  to  the  fame  thing,  in  the  prefent -cafe, 
who  did  not  know  that  they  had  this  right, 
er  that  were  any  other  than  bold  intruders  ; 
for  this  they  could  no  otherwife  know,  than 
by  being  beyond  doubt  as  to  the  goodnefs 
of  their  ftate  God-ward.  Surely,  it  was  never 
the  intention  of  our  Savior,  in  appointing,  the 
(acramental  fupper,  to  limit  an  attendance  at 
it  to  thofe  few  only,  who  had  got  above 
doubt  or  fear,  as  to  their  being  chriftians  in 
the  faving  fenfe  -,  and  yet,  this  muft  have 
been  his  intention,  if  thofe  only  may  warran- 
tably  give  their   attendance,  who  are    the  fub- 

jects  of  true  grace  j  becaufe  they  muft  know 

themfelves 


mtniioned  and  confidered*  91 

rhemfelves  to  be     fo,  or    they    cannot   know 
they   have   any  divine   warrant   to  eat  of  this 
golpel-fupper.      The    plain    truth  is,    this    re- 
ltriClion    of  a    right  to    the  facrament,  will  at 
once  exclude  multitudes   from  it  who  are    real 
chriftians,    becaufe  they    are    weak  and  doubt- 
ing ones.     None  fuch,   if  a    right  to    this  or- 
dinance is  connected  with  the   reality  of  grace, 
ought    to   come  to    it.     For,    fo   far    as  they 
are  in    doubt  of  their  being   real  good  chrifti- 
ans,   they     mud  doubt  of  the    lawfulnefs  of 
their  being  gucfts  at    it.     And  if  they  doubt 
of   their  right  to  be   at    the  facrament,    they 
will  incur  the   charge  of  guilt    if  they    come 
to  it.     That  faying  of  the  apoftle  Paul,  Rom. 
14.  23,  is  as  applicable  in  the  cafe  of  doubting 
as  to    a  right  to  the  Lord's- Supper,   as  in  the 
cafe    he     particularly     mentions,      "  He    that 
doubteth   is    damned    *  if    he     eat,    becaufe 

he 

*  The  word,  rendered  here  damnation,  means  the  judg- 
ment of  a  man's  confcience,faftening  upon  him  the  charge 
of  guilt.  And  this  it  willdo,  in  the  cafe  the  apoftle  is  upon, 
if  it  does  its  proper  office  ;  "  becaufe,  (  as  he  goes  on 
to  reafon)  he  eateth  not  of  faith,"  that  is,  he  eateth, 
not  being  fully  perfuaded  in  his  mind,  that  he  might 
lawfully  eat.     And  this  is  lin.     For  as   it  follows,   in 

the 


gt  Religious  fears  and  fcrupks 

he   eateih   not    of  faith"  ;  that   is,    he    ftands 

condemned    in    his    own    confeience,    becaule 

he   eats,    not   being    fully     perfuaded     it  was 

lawful     for   him   to   eat.     Thoufands  of  thofe 

who 

the  next  words,  "  whatfoever  is  not  of  faith  is  fin"  j 
that  is,  whatever  a  man  doth,  not  being  perfuaded, 
fo  as  to  be  beyond  doubt,  that  he  might  lawfully  do 
it,  he  fins  in  what  he  does.  Faith  ftands  here  in, 
oppofition  to  doubting,  and  therefore  means  fueh  a 
perfuafion  of  mind  as  leaves  no  room  for  hefitation, 
as  to  the  lawfulness  of  an  aclion.  The  greek  word 
tranllated  here  doubteth,  is,  as  Mr.  Lock  obferves, 
in  Rom.  4.  20,  tranllated  JIaggered  ;  and  is  there 
bppofed  to  ftrcng  in  faith  ;  or  to  fully  perficad- 
cd,  as  it  follows  in  the  next  verfe  :  And  this  ex- 
hibits the  true  meaning  of  the  apoftle,  in  the  text 
We  are  u^on.  His  words,  it  is  true,  were  fpoken 
with  reference  to  eating,  or  not  eating,  meat  that 
had  been  offered  to  idols.  If  a  man  doubted, 
whether  he  might  eat  of  fuch  meat,  he  would 
be  now  condemned,  in  confeience,  if  he  did  eat  j 
becaufe  he  did  that  which  he  was  not  fully  perfuaded 
in  his  own  mind  he  might  do.  But  his  reafoning  will 
hold  equally  ftrong  in  the  cafe  before  us.  If  it  is 
a  man's  profefTed  principle,  tjiart  he  ought  not  to  be  a 
partaker  of  the  facramental  flipper,  unlefs  he  is  the  fub- 
ject  of  that  faith  which  is  connected  with  everlaft- 
ing  life,  he  will  ftand  condemned  by  his  confei- 
ence, if  it  judges  rightly,  as  chargeable  with  guilt,  if 
he  partakes  while  doubting,  whether  he  is  poiFeiTed  of 

this 


nricned  and  conjidtrccL  g j 

who  might  be  worthy  communicants  at  the 
Lord's  table,  and  receive  great  ipiritual  pro- 
fit by  bciniy  there,  will  be  excluded  from  it, 
if'  thofe  only  may  rightfully  come  to  it,  who 
can  come,  not  doubting  of  the  goodnefs  of 
their  character  as  chriitians.  I  cannot  fup- 
pofe  our  Lord  has  made  the  way  to  his  ta- 
ble 

Hits  faith.  If  he  is  not  fo  fully  perfuaded  that  he  isj 
as  to  have  got  beyond  doubt  "  he  fins,  Ipecaufe  he  does 
not  this  in  faith  "  ;  that  is,  with  a  perfuafion  of 
mind,  excluding  all  doubt,  that  he  adls  in  this  mat- 
ter, as  divinely  warranted  hereto.  Whenever  a. man 
doubts  of  the  lavvfulnefs  of  an  action,  it  is  not  poffible 
he  fhould  do  that  action,  believing  that  he  may  law- 
fully do  it  ;  that  is,  in  the  exercife  of  a  faith  that  is 
oppofite  to,  and  excludes  doubting,  which  means  the 
fame  thing  with  a  clear,  full,  and  ftrong  perfuafion 
of  mind  ;  and  unlefs  he  has  this  faith,  or  full  perfua- 
fion of  foul,  he  "fins",  if  we  may  believe  the  apoftle 
Paul.  Upon  the  principle  therefore,  that  faving  grace 
is  a  qualification,  without  which  nqpe  have  a  right 
to  partake  of  the  Lord's-Supper,  none  ought  to  do 
fo,  until  they  are  freed  from  all  doubt  as  to  their  be- 
ing thus  qualified.  Simple  hope  will  not,  in  this  cafe, 
be  fufricient  ;  no,  nor  a  prevailing  hope.  A  man 
muft  be  fo  fully  perfuaded,  as  to  have  no  doubt  hanging 
about  his  mind.  And  mould  .he  have  been  a  partaker 
of  the  ordinance  of  the  fupper  an  hundred  times  if 
he  found  himfelf  to  be  in  a  doubting  ftate,  with  re- 
fpeel  to  the   real  truth    of  his  character   as   one   that 


was 


94  Religious  fiats   and  fcruples 

ble  Co  ftrair  and  narro^y  -9  neither  can  I  bring 
myfelf  ro  think,  that  he  ever  intended  this 
appointment  of  his  religion  to  bean  occafi- 
on  of  embarrasment  to  the  minds  of  his  dif. 
ciples,  thofe  of  them  efpecially  that  are  weak, 
or  fearful,  and  need  rather  to  be  encoura- 
ged to,  than  deter'd  from,  the  practice  of  ihar 
duty. 

The    mod   proper  and  direct  anfwer  there- 
fore to  the   difficulty   under    confederation   is, 

a 

was  favingly  converted,  it  would  be  his  duty  to  obfervc 
this  inftitution  no  more,  until   his  doubt  was  removed  : 
otherwife  he  would  fin  ;    for  whofoever  eats  and  drinks 
at   the   facramental   fupper,    according  to  the   principle 
we  are  considering,   not  having  a  clearly   full,  and  fa- 
tisfaclory  perfuafion   in  his  own  mind,    that   he  is  born 
of  God,  not  only  fins,   but  his   confeience  will  tell  him 
that  he  fins,  if  it  is   faithful   to  do    its  office. 
In   this  view  of  the  matter,   which  is  an   apoftolic  one, 
thofe  who  have    not  as  yet  been  at   the  table    of  the' 
Lord,   ought  not  to   appear  there,    neither   mould    thofe 
dare  to  come   again   who  have  often   been    there,  if  in 
the   ftatc  David   was  in,   when    he  prayed,   as    in   Pfal. 
51.   "make    me  to  hear  joy  and  gladnefs— caft   me  not 
away   from  thy  prefence,  and  take  not  thine  holy   Spi- 
rit from  me,    reftore  unto  me  the  joy  of  thy   falvation, 
and  uphold  me  by  thy  free  fpirit  ;     or  if  in  the  Hate 
©f  thofe,  Ifa'i.  50.  10.  who,  though  "fearers  of  the  Lord, 
yet   walked  in  darknefs,   and    faw   no    light".     In    a 

word,   if  a  right  to  the   facramental  fupper,  and  that 

faith 


mentioned  and  conjidered.  95 

a  denial  of  the  foundation  on  which  it  i§ 
builc,  namely,  that  faving  grace  is  a  qualifi- 
cation without  which  perfons  may  not  come 
to  the  table  of  the  Lord.  If  thofe  may  warran- 
tably  come,  as  allowed  by  their  Lord  to 
come,  who   have  not  as  yet  attained  to   that 

faith 

faith    by   which  a    man   is  juftified,    are    infeperably 
connected   by  the    gofpel  conftitution,    no  one,    whe- 
ther he  never   has  been,  or  now   is  a  communicant  at 
it,  ought  to  appear  a    gueft   there,    unlefs  he   is  fure 
that   he   is  a  believer    to   life,     that  is,    fo  perfuaded 
of  this    as    to  have  no    doubt  about    it  in  his    mind- 
If  thefe  now  are   all  excluded,   and  exclude  themfelves 
they   muft,   or  be  condemned  by   their  own  confcien- 
ces  as   chargeable    with  guilt  if  they    do  not  :    I  fay 
if  all    thefe  are   excluded,   how  amazingly  thin  will  be 
the   appearance  of  guefts   at   the  facramental  fupper  ! 
By  far  the   greater  part  in   all  our  churches  muft  no 
more  come  to  this  ordinance  as    communicants,   until 
they   are   fo  fatisfied  of  the  goodnefs    of  their   ft  ate, 
in  the   fpiritual  fenfe,   as  to  be  in  no  doubt  about  it  ; 
And,   perhaps,  there  may  be  fome  churches   to  whom 
i.t   ought  not    to  be  adminiftred,   there   not  being    a 
fufficient  number   in    them  that  can   "eat  in   faith"; 
that  is,  with    fuch   a  perfuafion    of    their  being    the 
fubjects  of  converting  grace,   as    excludes    all    doubt 
from  their  minds.     Perhaps,  this  may  be  the  cafe  with 
refpeft   to   fome  at  leaft    of  their   paftors  ;  who  then 
fhall  adminifter  the  ordinance   to  them  ?   Surely,  our 
Lord  could  never  intend  to   make    «n   attendance  at 
his  table  a  matter   of  almoft    conftant   perplexity  ta> 
his  difciples  ! 


^ 6  Religions  fears  and  Jcrupies 

faith  which  is  laving,  all  ground  of  perplex-* 
ity  from  this  quarter  is  at  once  removed  away. 
And  thac  this  is  the  real  truth,  I  fhaii  en- 
deavour to  m  ike  evident  to  you.  And  that 
1  may  do  it  in  the  mod  eafie,  and  yet  moll 
fatisfying  way,  I  (hall  turn  your  view  to  the 
practice  of  the  infpired  apoftles,  in  admitting 
perfons  to  communion  with  them  in  "break- 
ing of    bread" 

And  was  this  fuch  as  will  countenance  the 
thought,  that  nothing  lefs  than  a  faith  that  is 
faving  will  qualifie  for  the  lacrament,  or  that 
none  who  are  not  thus  qualified,  ought  to 
come  to  it  ?  Far  from  this,  their  practice  ob- 
vioufly  and  unavoidably  leads  us  to  think  juft 
the  reverfe;  namely,  that  the  facramentai  in- 
ftitution  was  defigned  for  the  ule  and  benefit 
of  profelTing  believers  in  general,  whether 
their  faith  is  of  the  fpecial,  or  common  kind. 
It  is  certain,  the  feveral  communities  of  chrif- 
tians,  in  apoftolic  times,  were  conftituted  of 
two  forts  of  believers  •,  believers  unto  life,  and 
believers  whole  faith  was  not  an  abiding  prin- 
ciples of  good  action.  And  ic  is  as  certain 
that  they  all,  unlefs  exeluded  for  open  fcan- 
dal,  were  partakers  at  the  Lord's  table,  and 
this  under  apoftolic  direction  ;  yea,  as  having 
feme   or  other   of  the  apoitks  ac  their  head, 

and 


mentioned  and  confidsrea.  $y 

gmd  leading  in  the  adminiftration.  Nay,  i* 
is  evident  beyond  difpute,  that  ic  was  the 
practice  of  the  apoftles  to  admit  profeffing 
JjeJieyers  to  the  fupper  of  the  Lord  under 
circumftaoces,  wherein  neither  they,  nor  the 
perfons  themfelves,  could,  upon  rational  evi- 
dence, know,  whether  their  faith  was  any 
other  than  that  commqn  one  which  would 
confift  with  their  periflung  beyond  the  grave. 
The  three  thoufand  perfons  we  read  of,  in 
my  context,  as  admitted  to  "  break  bread  '- 
with  the  apoftles,  were  admitted  to  this 
gofpel  privilege,  the  very  day  they  were  con- 
vinced that  Jefus  was  the  fluid,  and  pro- 
feffed  faith  in  him  as  fuch.  And  it  is  the 
truth  of  fact,  that  it  was  their  pracYce  to 
receive  perfons  to  communion  with  them,  in 
all  the  privileges  of  God's  yifible  kingdom, 
upon  a  bare  profeflion  of  faith  in  Chriu% 
.vithout  waiting  for  evidence  from  its  fruits.* 
that  it  was  the  faith  by  which  "  the  juft  do 
hyc*\  We  no  where  read,  in  the  facred 
books,  of  their  delaying  to  baptife  any,  or 
eo  admit  them  to  fcllowfhip  in  the  Lord's- 
Supper,  until  it  was  made  evident  either  tp 
them,  or  the  perfons  themfelves,  that  they 
were  the  fubje&s  of  that  faith  which  is  con? 
Pf&ed  with  fe'vation.      Far  from   this,    they 

N  immediate;,? 


9-S  Religious  fears  and  Jcfupln 

immediately  baptifed,  and  admitted  to  the 
facrament,  all  tnat  profcfTed  faith  in  the  gof- 
peUrevelation,  and  upon  this  profefiion  only. 
Surely,  they  would  not  have  been  thus  hafty 
tn  their  admiflions  to  a  participation  in  gof- 
pel  ordinances,  if  they  had  thought,  thac 
chriftian  profeflbrs  might  not,  with  the  allow- 
ance of  their  Savior,  join  together  in  "  eat- 
ing and  breaking  bread",  until  they  were 
the  fubjecls  of  that  faith  which  is  juftifying. 
Had  this  been  their  fentimcnt,  it  cannot  be 
fuppofed,  without  dimonouring  their  charac- 
ter, that  they  would  at  once,  without)  any 
delay,  have  owned  all  that,  made  aprofeffion 
of  faith  as  difciples,  admitting  them  to  ftl- 
lowfhip  with  themfelves  ia  all  the  privileges 
©f  the  gofpel  difpenfation.  It  might  rather, 
with  all  propriety,  have  been  expected,  thas 
they  would  h&ve  taken  time  to  adviie,  cau-, 
tion,  and  guard  their  hearers  ;  waiting  fcnr 
credible  evidence,  in  the  judgment  of  ratio- 
nal charity,  that  they  were  believers  in  the 
laving  fcnfe,  before  they  allowed  them  to  be 
partakers  at  the  Lord's* Supper.  Had  ihey 
looked  upon  it  as  a  truth,  that  this  ordinance 
was  intended  by  our  Lord,  in  his  appoint- 
ment of  it,  for  the  ufe  of  thofc  only  who 
were  believers  unto  life,  it   is  unacountably 

Grange* 


mentioned  and  tonfidvrtd*  .§.9 

ilrange,  that  they  fhould  have  encouraged, 
yea,  directed  fuch  numbers  to  the  ufe  of  it, 
upon  a  bare  profeffton  only,  before  there 
had  been  opportunity  for  the  tryai  of  their 
faith,  or  the  exhibition  of  reafonable  proof 
that  it  wss  of  the  faving  kind.  They  knew 
that  our  Lord  had  faid  to  believers  in  him, 
"  then  are  ye  my  difcipies,  if  ye  continue 
in  my  word".  And  again,  Cl  not  every  one 
that  faith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  fhall  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  he  that 
doth  the  will  of  my  father  which  is  in  hea- 
ven". They  knew  aifo,  from  what  they  had 
feen  themfelves,  that,  among  thofe  who  had 
prof  eiTed  faith  in  Chrift,  there  were  feme,  yea, 
a  grea:  many,  whofe  faith  did  not  "work  by 
ihat  love*',  either  to  God  or  man,  which  the 
gofpel  makes  neceffary  to  denominate  it  a  faith 
that  is  laving.  They  could  not  therefore  ad*- 
mit  perfons  to  chriftian  fellowfhip  in  gofpel 
ordinances,  meerly,  or  only,  upon  a  verbal 
profeflion  of  faith,  looking  upon  this  pro- 
fetfion  as  credible  evidence,  that  they  weretru- 
ly  fanflified.  Fo-r  it  was  not  in  the  judgment 
of  the  largeft  rational  charity,  good  evidence 
in  the  cafe.  Inftead  of  being  convinced,  up- 
on juft  and  folid  grounds,  that  it  was  a  juflfy- 
£i7g  faith,  there  was  reafon  rather  to-fear,  at  leaft, 

in 


i©o  Religious  j 'ears'   and  fiTuptei 

in  regajrd  of  many,  that  it  was  no   other    faith 
than    would     leave    thtrm    fhort   of    heavenly 
falvatiori.      It    ought   not  therefore    to  be  fup- 
jpofed,    when  the  apoftles   fo   fuddeniy   admit- 
ted perfons  to  baptifm,  and  the  Lord's-Supper* 
upon  a    bare  profeffion  of  faith  in   Chrift,  that 
they  imagined,  that  this    profeffion  gave   cre- 
dible proof  that   they   were   believers  in  the. 
faving  fenle,    or  that  they    efieemed  them  as 
fuch.     It  is  far  more  reafonable    to  think,  ori 
the    contrary,    that   they    understood,    by  the 
faith    here    profeiTed,   no    mete  than    fuch   a 
conviction  that  "  jefus   was  the  Chrift*,)  as    to 
be    therefrom     difpofed    and    influenced  to   a 
readinefs  to  own  him  as  their  Savior  and  Lord'-* 
zrid>  in  confequence  hereof,    to  put  themfelves 
under    his  care,    guidance     and    tuition  j   and 
to  be  found  in  the   ufe  of  his  appointments,  as 
the  beft  method  they   could    take  to   be  fur* 
iher  enlightened,  improved,    and    trained    up 
in  the  way  they   fliouIJ  go,   in  order   to  their 
finding  eternal  life.     It  gofpel  inftitutions  are 
cbnfidercd  as  a  means  wifely  and    powerfully 
fifted  to  cultivate  and   improve  fuch  a  faith  as 
this,   and  as  defigned  by  God  for  the  ufe   of 
khofe  who  have  it,  in  order  to  their  becoming 
chriftians,    formed  to  a  "meetnefs,  for  the  in- 
heritance of  the   fan&ified  by  faith  in    JeUis 

Chrift 


Mentioned  and  tonfidehd.  j&t 

thrift,  the  conduct  of  the  apoules  was 
exactly  fuch  as  it  was  proper  and  reafo- 
nable  it  mould  be.  It  is  beyond  all  doubt 
with  rhe,  that  this  was  their  fentimeht  con- 
cerning thefe  inftiiucions  ;  and  that  th;S  alfo 
was  their  view  in  admitting  thefe  profefibrs 
to  an  attendance  on  them,  Nor,  unlefs  they 
acted  under  the  influence  of  this  thought,. and 
with  this  view,  is  ic  poffible,  as  I  imagine,  to 
juftifie  either  the  wifdom  of  their  conduct,  c? 
ifs  faithfulnefs  to  God,  or  the  fouls  of  men  \ 
Nor  can  they  be  juftified,  upon  any  other 
icheme  of  tho't,  who  encourage  perfons  in  the 
ufe  of  gofpel  inftitutions,  who  are  not  clearly 
iatisfied,  upon  proper  tryal  of  their  faith  by 
irs  fruits,   that  it  is  of  the  faving  kind. 

The  plain  truth  is,  no  good  reafon  can 
be  given,  why  the  inftitutions  of  the  via- 
ble kingdom  of  God  fhould  not  bz  intended  for 
Jhe  ufe  arid  benefit  of  all  profcfiing  fchtif- 
tians,  ferioufly  concerned  about  their  fouls* 
and  everlaftirig  falvation  *  though  their  faith^ 
at  prefent,  fhould  be  no  other  than  that 
which  is  the  effect  of  the  ordinary  iliumi- 
nations  and  afliftance  of  the  divine  Spirits 
They  are  as  fuitably  adapted  to  beget,  as  to 
*ncreafe*a  faiththat  is  faving.  And  it  is,  perhaps, 
la   the  fciicus,  diligent,  perftvering  ufe  of  thefe 

tefticutta 


1-6 1  Religious  fears   and  fcrupks 

ftitutcd  means  of  grace,  that  pcrfons,  ge^ 
nerally  fpeaking,  are  made  holy,  really  and 
truly  To,  as  well  as  improved  in  this  gracious 
quality  of  their  minds.  Men,  it  is  true, 
muft  have  faith  in  the  gofpel-revelation,  be- 
fore they  can  attend  its  inflitutions,  unlefs 
they  fhouid  do  it  from  a  principle  of  hy- 
pocrify.  Accordingly  the  apoftles  admitted 
hone  to  chriftian  communion,  until  they 
profcfifed  faith  in  Chrift.  *  But,  upon  do- 
ing this,  they  received  them  into  the  king- 
dom 

*  It    may    be    worthy  of  remark   here,    as    thofe,    to 
whom  the  gofpel   was  preached  in    the  apoftles  days, 
were   either  Je-ws,  or  Gentiles,  they   could     have   ad- 
million  into  the  vifible   kingdom     of  Chrift   only   by 
baptifm,  with    a  previous    profelfion  of  faith  in    him 
as    the    Son    of  God,  ar.d  Savior  of  the  world.     But 
then  it  ought    to  be  confidered,    this    profeflion  they 
might  make    from   a   real    and  ftrong     perfuafion   of 
mind  that   he    was "  the  Son  of    God",    and    his  rer 
ligion  that  alone  by  which  they  could  be  faved  ;    while, 
at  the  fame  time,  their  faith,  which  was  the  ground  o* 
their  sdmiffion  into   Chrift's   vifible    kingdom,    might 
fall  (hort  of  that   which  would  intereft    them  in  eter- 
nal life.    Our  Savior  himfelf  has  put  this  beyond  dif- 
pute,  not  only  by  declaring  more  than  once,    in  ex- 
prefs  words,  that  f  many  who  believed  on  him"  were 
not  believers  unto  life  ;  but  by  a  variety  of  parables, 
which  he  fpake  on  purpofe  to  convey  this  fentiment, 
that  perfons  might  be  vifible  members  of  his  kingdom, 

though 


Mentioned  and  confidered,  {&£ 

dbm  of  grace  ;  not  waiting  for  evidence 
that  they  were  already  fit  for  the  kingdom 
of  glory,  but  putting  them  at  once  under 
the  enjoyment  of  all  gofpel  means,  privi- 
leges*   motives,    and    advantages,    that    they 

might, 

though  their  faith  was  not  of  the  faving  kind  ;  as 
you  may  read  at  large,  in  the  13th  Chap,  of  Matthew's 
gofpel.  Nay,  fo  far  was  he  from  fuppefing,  that  all 
that  profefled  faith  in  him,  and  had  thereupon  been 
admitted,  as^drfciples,  into  his  viiible  kingdom,  were 
the  fubje&s  of  thai? "  faith  by  which  the  juft  do  live", 
that  he  not  only  compares  many  of  them  to  tares 
growing  up  with  the  -wheat  ;  but  folemnly  prohibits 
their  being  *' rooted  up",  and  publifhes  it  as  hisplea- 
fure,  that  both  be  fuffered  to  "  grow  together,  until 
the  time  of  the  harveft".  One  reafon  of  this,  with- 
out all  doubt,  was,  that  they  might,  by  !the  cultivation 
of  gofpel  means,  and  advantages,  be  changed  into 
good  vjheat.  In  the  natural  world  this  is  impoffible  ; 
but  not  fo,  in  the  fpiritual  kingdom  of  Chrift.  Tares 
may  be,  and  often  have  been,  converted  into  wheat  : 
And  one  thing  defigned  by  our  Savior  m  fuffering 
tares  to-  have  a  being  in  his  church  unqueftionably  was, 
that  this  converfion,  under  gofpel  culture,  might  be 
effected.  In  this  refpecl,  there  is  an  ejfeniial  difference 
between  God*s  kkgdom  that  is  above,  and  his  king- 
dom here-  on  earth.  None  but  fuch  as  have  been 
partakers  of  the  grace  of  God  in  truth  fhall  have  ad- 
miffion  granted  to  them  into  the  heavenly  kingdom. 
And  proviilon  has  accordingly  been  made  to  brin^  this 
into  event.    For  one  that  hxfalibly  fenows  "  what-  is 

ia3 


104  Religious  fears  and  jcrufhs 

might,  by  a  wife  and  good  ufe  of  them,  be 
n?ade  "  rnrn  of  God,"  formed  to  a  "  meet- 
nets  for  the  inheritance  of  the  faints  in  light," 
And  it  was  doubdefs,  the  def;gn  of  God,  in 

erecting 

in  man",  is  the  appointed  judge,  with  whom  it  be- 
longs to  determine,  who  the  perfons  are  that  mall  have 
entrance  into  heaven.  And  none  but  fuch  as  he  knows, 
beyond  the  poflibiiity  of  miftake,  have  been  **  fan&i- 
fied  through  faith  in  him",  mall  fee  his  face  there. 
And  had  it  been,  in  like  manner,  the  intention  of 
God,  that  none  but  the  "  renewed  in  the  fpirit  of  their 
minds",  mould  be  admitted  into  his  vifible  church  on 
earth,  and  partake  of  its  vifible  privileges,  he  would, 
without  all  doubt,  have  taken  fufficient  care,  fo  to 
have  guarded  the  affair  of  admitfion  as  to  have  exclud- 
ded  all  others.  But  this  he  has  not  done.  There  j- 
no  divinely  conftituted  judge,  or  judges,  on  earth, 
either  among  the  clergy  or  laity,  confidered  fingly, 
or  as  united  in  a  body,  who  are  qualified  to  make 
a  certain  judgment,  refpecling  the  real  character  of 
any  of  thofe  who  may  defire  to  he  admitted  to  fellow- 
Ihip  in  gofpel  ordinances  ;  neither  are  the  perfons, 
who  offer  themfelves,  always  able  to  make  a  juft 
judgment  of  their  own  character,  and  never  an  abfo- 
'lutely  certain  one.  Chrift  is  the  one  only  judge  of  the 
internal  ftate  of  men  ;  nor  will  this  be  certainly 
known,  until  the  day  of  the  revelation  of  his  righ- 
teous judgment.  It  h,  therefore,  highly  reafqnable  to 
think,  that  there  is  a  difference  between  the  terms  of 
admiflion  into  the  church  on  earth,  and  the  church  in 
heaven.     If  they  were  the  fame,  it  would  be  abfurd 


mentioned  and   con/idered,  \Qe 

ere&ing  the  gofpd  difpenfation,  with  fq  many 
powerful,  well  adapttd  means  and  advantage, 
to  train  up  all  that  are  under  it,  as  in  a  fchool 
••  from  fauh  ro  faith,"  from  a  common  kith 
Jo  a  fpccial  one,  and  from  a  fpecial  one  in  a 
lower  degree,  to  an  highe  •,  until  the  fubjefts 
pf  it   are   complete   in   Chrift. 

Enough    has    now   been  faid    to  make   it 

O  evident, 

to  fuppofe,   that  no   effectual  provifion  fhould  be  made 
to  keep   thofe   out  of  the  church  here,   who  aredifqua- 
lified   for   an  admiflion  into  the  church  of  God   that  is 
above.     The  plain  truth  is,  it  is   no   where  fuggefled, 
in     any  part    of  the  old  or     new-teftament,    that  all 
.thofe  who  are  members   of  the  vifible   church  here,  and 
admitted  to  partake  of  its  vifible  privileges,  are   real-* 
ly   and  certainly   faints  ;     or  that,  as  fuch,  they  will 
hereafter    be  joined    to   •*!  the    general   aiTembly,    and 
church   of  the  firft-born,  which  are  written  in  heaven". 
The   intention  of  God,  therefore,  in  erecting  a  vifible 
•kingdom,   here    on   earth,    with   a   variety    of    viiible 
means,   helps,     privileges,     and     advantages,    was   not 
'  meerly,  or  only,    to   enlarge  and   brighten   the  qualifi- 
cations of  thofe,  who  are  already  ejjentially   qualified  for 
"heaven  ;  but  to  form  thofe    alfo  to  a  meetnefs    for  it, 
who  may   as  yet   be   destitute  of  this  meetnefs  :    And 
the    inftitutions   of  this    kingdom    are   all   of  them  fo 
contrived,  as  to  be,   at  once,  equally  and   powerfully 
adapted,   both    to  begin,  and   carry  on,   the  work   of 
fanclification    in  the  fouls  of  all    that    are  members 
pf  it. 

i 


io6  Religious  fears  and  jcruples 

evident,  that  faving  grace  is  not  a  qualifica- 
tion, without  which  peribns  may  not  come  tb 
Che  flipper  of  the   Lord. 

Two  things  are  commonly  objected  againft 
what  has  been  faid,  which  it  may  be  pro- 
per and  needful  to  take  fome  notice  of 
her©. 

The 

•**     I   may   properly  fubjoin  here,     the    divinely    ap- 
pointed way,  in  which  perfons  become  members  of  the 
viable  church  of  Chrift,   is  utterly  inconfiftent  with  the 
fuppoiltion,  that,  in  order  to  their  being  fo,  they  muft  be 
the   fubjefts   of   faving     faith,    or   judged   to    be    fo. 
A  profefTion  of  faith  in  Chrift,  in  apoftolic  times,  was 
that,    without   which,    neither     Jews  nor   Gentiles,    of 
whom  the  world  then   confiikd,  could,   by  baptifm,  be 
admitted  members    of  his  vifible  kingdom.      But  how 
was  it   poftible,  that  even  the   apoftles,   much  lefs  their 
iuccefTors  in  after  ages,    who  could  judge  by   the  out- 
ward appearance   only,   not  having  it  in   their  power 
to  infpecl   the  hearts  of  others,    mould  be   able  to  de- 
termine,  whether  the   faith  they  profeffed   was  of  the 
faving   kind  ?  And  it  is  certain,  it  was  not   always  of 
this  kind,  neither  in  the  firft   times  of  the   gofpel,    nor 
in  any  age  fine?.      Shall  we   fay  then,  that  thofe   were 
not  members   in  the  vifible   kingdom  of  Chrift,  whofe 
faith   was  fhort  of  that  which  is  faving  ?  This  mu-ft  be 
faid,  if  faving   faith  is  a   necefifary  qualification  in  or- 
der  to  vifible    membermip    in   the  church    of    Chrift. 
And    will    it  not   herefrom    unavoidably   follow,  that 
it  is   impofllble  to  know,  who  are,   and  who  are  not, 
members   of  Chrift's   vifible  kingdom   ?     Yea,  whether 
he  has  any  fuch  kingdom  in  the  world  ?  Be* 


mentioned  and    confidered.  107 

The  firft  is,  the  cafe  of  the  Ethiopian 
eunuch,  who,  upon  drfirir.g  to  be  baptifed,  re- 
ceived that  anfwer  irom  Phillip,  who  had 
been  expounding  the  icripture  to  him,  "  if 
thou  believed  with  all  thine  heart,  thou 
mlyeft.,,     The  plea  here  is,   faving  faith  was, 

in 

Eefides,  it  ought   to  be  remembered,  that  the  children 
of  thofe,   who  are  members  of  Chrift's  vifible  church,  are, 
by  the  conftitution    of  God,  from  their  firft  coming  in- 
to  exiftence,    members   of   this    kingdom     in    common 
with  their  parents.     So  it  -was  under  the  Jewijh  difpen- 
fation.     And  fo  it  is  now  under  the  chrift  ian  ;   if  there 
is  any  validity  in   one  of  the   principal  arguments,   by 
which  we  vindicate  our  practice,  in  baptiling  the  infants 
of  thofe,   who   are    members   of  ChrifVs   church.     We 
b/TpVife    them,      becaufe     they      are     born     difciples, 
member?,  in   common  with  their  parents,    of  the  fame 
vifible   kingdom,     under  the    administration    cf    Jefus 
Chrift.     Baptifm   is  the  badge,    fgn,   or   token  of  this 
privilege,   by   which    they  are    diftinguifbed   from  the 
children   of  thofe  parents,  who  are  without  the   pale   of 
the  church.     With  refpecl   to    thefe,    who   are    by   far 
the  greater  part  of  the   vifible   kingdom  of  God,  none 
will  fay,  they  were,  when  they  firft  commenced  members 
pf  this  kingdom,  the  fubje&s   of  faving  faith.     A  mem- 
berfhip  in    the  church  of  Chrift  was  their  birth-right,  an 
abfolute  grant   of  the   favor     of    God   towards     them. 
And   members   of  this  church    they    will   be,     whether 
their  parents  bring  them  to  baptifm,  negledt  to  do   fo, 
or  are  hindered  by   the  invented   requirements  of  man. 
For  baptifm   with   refpeft  to  infants,   is  the  mark   of 

Chiift, 


i£>g  Religious  fears   and  fcrupUs 

in  regard  of  this  perfori,  made  neceflary  hi 
order  to  his  being  admitted  to  the  ordinance  of 
baptifm.  And  if  he  might  not  be  baptifed 
without  this  faith,  to  be  Aire  he  might  not  be 
a    partaker  at  the    LordVtable. 

The    anfwer   is  eafie.     It    is    faid,    without 
fuificicnt  reafcn,  that    "  believing  with   all  the 

heart" 

thrift  publicly  owning  them  as  members  of  hk  king- 
dom, not  a  rite  by  which  they  are  admitted  into  it. 
It  will,  perhaps,  be  faid  here,  lhouid  it  be  allowed, 
that  the  infant  feed  of  believers  are,  in  common  with 
their  parents,  members  of  the  kingdom  of  Chrift, 
yet  it  muft,  at  the  fame  time,  be  affirmed,  that  this 
gives  them  no  right,  when  they  come  to  years,  to  fpe- 
cial  gofpel  ordinances.  In  order  to  this,  they  muft 
profefs  faving  faith  in  Chrift,  and  explicitly  cove- 
nant to  be  his  :  It  is  this,  and  this  only,  that  inflates 
them  in  this  right.  The  reply  is,  if  the  gofpel  was 
to  be  preached  to  our  native  Indians,  or  to  other  pa- 
gan people,  or  to  the  Jews  in  any  place  whither  they' 
have  been  fcattered,  they  would  have  no  right,  any 
more  than  thofe  the  apoitles  preached  to,  in  their 
day,  to  fpecial  gofpel  ordinances,  until,  by  a  previous 
profefTion  of  faith  in  Chrift,  they  had  been  admit- 
ted, by  baptifm,  into  that  vifible  church  of  which  he 
is  head.  But  this  cannot,  with  truth,  be  applied  to 
thofe,  who  are  already  members  of  this  church  ;  as 
h  the  cafe,  with  refpect  to  fuch  adults  as  had,  in  their 
infancy,  the  mark  of  difciples  put  upon  them  by  the 
Water  <of  baptifm.  How  far  it  may  -be  expedient, 
U  tending  to  edification,   for   thefe   previously  to  their 

coming 


mentioned  and  confid<.red»  109 

heart"  •  means  the  fame  thing  with  faving 
faith.  Many,  in  the  days  of  Chrift,  and 
his  apcftles,  heartily  believed  ;  yea,  their 
whole  heart  was  in  their  fajth,  infomuch 
that  they  received  the  word  with  joy,  yea, 
a  ftrong  motion  in  ail  the  paffions  and  af- 
fections 

coming  tofpecial  ordinances  to  profefs  faith  in  Chrift, 
and  openly  covenant  to  be  his,  I  difpute  not  at  prefent. 
But  thus  much  I  will  venture  to  fay,  that,  their  right  to 
fpecial  ordinances  is  not  at  all  founded  on  any  fuch 
profefTioh  or  covenant,  but  on  their  memberfhip  in 
the  church  of  Chrift.  Being  members  of  this  church, 
as  truly  fo  as  thofe  who  communicate  at  the  table  of 
the  Lord,  they  have  a  divinely  eftablifhed  right,  when 
they  come  ro  years,  to  all  the  vifible  means,  privile- 
ges, and  advantages  of  the  gofpel  vifible  kingdom  " 
Nor  has  any  church  on  earth  a  power  delegated  to 
them,  from  him  who  is  head  over  all,  to  hinder  them 
from  the  exercife  of  this  right,  unlefs  their  behavior, 
is  fuch  as  that,  in  a  way  of  chriftian  difcipline,  a 
ftop  is  put  to  it  conformably  to  the  directions  of  the 
gofpel.  The  plain  truth  is,  they  are  either  members 
of  the  vifible  kingdom  of  Chrift,  or  they  are  not* 
There  is  no  medium  here.  If  they  are  members  at 
all,  they  are  as  much  fo  as  they  can  be.  It  is  not 
in  the  power  of  man  to  make  them  more  fo  then 
they  are  already.  The  owning  the  covenant,  as  it  is 
called,  that  they  may  have  baptifm  for  their  children, 
according  to  the  manner  of  tbefe  churches;  or  their 
cwning  the  fame  covenant,  or  a  like  one,  that  they 
taay  be  admitted,  as  we  commonly  fpeak,  to  full  com- 
munion* 


i  io  Religious  fears  and  fcrupks 

fedtions  of  their  heart  ;  while  yet,  their 
faith  was  not  as  an  abiding  principle,  as 
appeareJ  afterwards,  by  their  falling  away  in 
a  time  of  temptation,  or  by  their  being  led 
afide  by  the  cares  of  the  world.  And  this 
might  have  been  the  cafe  of  this  eunuch, 
for   ought    any  thing   that    is   known    to  the 

contrary  : 

munion,  makes  no   alteration   as  to  their  membership 
in  the  kingdom  of   the  Son    of  God.     They   were   be- 
fore as  truly,   and  as   much  members   in  this   kingdom, 
as   they   are  now.     There   are  no  half  members   in  the 
vilible  kingdom  of  Chrift.     Whoever  are  members   at 
alii  are  whole  members  ;  and,  as  fuch,  have  a  right,    at 
mature  years,  to  a   feat  at  the  table    of  the   Lord,    un- 
lefs,  by  their   unchriftian    conduct,    they  heve  forfeited 
it.     The  churchs  of  Chrift,    I  fear,    are  generally   and 
greatly  wanting    in   their   duty   to  thofe,   whoarevifi- 
ble    members  of  the  fame  body  with    themfelves,  while 
they  take    little  or  no   care,   that    they    pay    due  ho- 
nor   to   the    fpecial     institutions     of  chriftianity.     In- 
ftead  of  laying  obftacles  in    their    way,   preventive  of 
this,  they  mould  remove  them  fo  far   as  it   is   in   their 
power;  giving  them    all' the  encouragement,  and  aifift- 
ance  they   may   need.     If  they    fee  their   way  clear  to 
bring  their  children   to  baptifm,  and  are   ferioufly  defi- 
rous  of  it,   they  ihould  be  permitted  to  do  it  ;    though 
religious   fears   and   fcruples    mould  reft  rain  them   from 
coming  to  rhe  table  of  the  Lord  ;    in  which   cafe,    they 
Ihould  be  inftru&ed  in   meeknefs,   with   all   long-fuffer- 
rlng    and  forbearance.     Eut,   if   their   neglect   of  this 
ordinance   ihould    appear  to   arife  from  habitual  care^ 

leflnef3 


mentioned  and  confidered,  m 

contrary  :  Befides,  the  eunuch,  in  anfwer  to 
Phillip,  did  not  fay  that  he  u  believed  with 
all  his  heart."  His  words  import  nothing 
more  than  Tingle  naked  belief.  Said  he,  "I 
believe  that  Jefus  is  the  Son  of  God"  ;  upon 
which  he  was  ftraitway  baptifed.  But  if 
his  anfwer  had  been,  "  I  believe  with  all  my 
hearr,  that  Jefus  is  the  Son  of  God",  it 
would    not  have    been  evident,    that   he  was 

the 

lefsnefs  and  inattention,  difcovering  their  contempt  of 

it,  they  fhould    be  reproved    and  admoniihed  ;    and, 

if  finally   obftinate  in  their  contempt,  they  fhould,    ia 

the  gofpel    way,     be    cut  off  from   their    relation  to 

Chrift , — But  I  may   not   carry  this  note  to  a  greater 

length  :   Nor  mould   I  have  fo  enlarged  it,  had   it  not 

been  my  view  to   fignify    my  fentiments,  with  refpeft 

to  feme   of  the  difputes   of  the    prefent  day  ;     which 

appear  to  me  founded  on  grofs  ignorance  of  the  real  na- 

nature  of  Ch rift's  vifible  kingdom. 

Since  the  penning  the  above  note,  and  putting  it  into 
the  printer's  hands,  I  obferved,  upon  occafionally  look- 
ing over  the  records  of  the  firft  church  in  Bofton, 
of  which  I  am  paftor,  the  following  queftions,  with 
an  affirmative  anfwer  to  them. 

"  Whether  the  relation  of  immediate  children  of 
church  members  be  fuch,  as  giveth  the  church  a  church- 
power  over  them  ?  And,  confequently,  whether  it  is  the*- 
duty  of  the  church  to  exercife  that  power  regularly 
upon  them,  that  their  knowledge  and  life  may  be  an- 
fwerable  to  the  engagements  of  their  relation  ?  And 
whether  it  be  the  church's  mind,  that  £>lemn   notice 

be 


I  i  i  Religious  fears  and  Jcrupks 

the  fubjed  of  a  faith  that  would  have  argued 
his  being  born  of  God  :  To  be  fure,  he 
could  not  know  that  he  was,  upon  juft  and 
folid  grounds,  unlefs  by  infpiration  from  a- 
bove  \  and  without  this,  he  would  have  been  top 
hafty,  and  indeed  rafh,  if  his  declaration 
concering  his  faith  was  intended  to  con- 
vey   this  thought. 

It  may  poftibly    be  thought  by  fome,   that 
<fc  believing   with   all  the  heart"  is   too  ftrong 
a   mode  of  fpeech   to    mean  any   thing  mort 
of  a  faith   that  is    connefted    with   life.     But 
it   is  a   certain   truth,   that   perfons   may   be- 
lieve in   Jefus  as    the  Son  of  God,   and   Savior 
of  the  world  ;  really  in  oppofition    to  deceit, 
and    hypocrify  ;  heartily,  in   oppofition    to  the 
want  of  affe&ion  \    and  "  with  all  their  heart", 
as   (ignifying   the  pafiionate  emotion   of   their 
whole   foul  ;  while  yet  their  faith  may  have  no 

depth 

be  given  to  them  feafonably  ?  Voted  by  the  church  in 
the  affirmative,  on  the  29th  of  the  1  ith  month  1696. 
In  agreement  with  this  declared  fenfe  of  the  church, 
feveral  acts  of  difcipline  are  recorded  ;  particularly,  the 
two  following. 

"  Son  of  our  brother of  the  age  of  16  years, 

born  and  baptifed  into  the  fellowship  of  the  cove- 
nant, for  his  choofing  evil  company,  and  frequenting 
a  houfc  of  ill  report,   and  that  at  unfeafonable  times, 

with 


mentioned  and  confidertd^  xi§ 

depth  of  root,  and  may  leave  them  flaort  of 
chat  renovation  of  mind  without  which  they 
cannot  be  faved.  It  may  be  worth  remem- 
bering here,  it  is  laid  2  Chron.  15.  12,  that 
"  all  Judah  entered  into  a  covenant  to  fcek 
the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers  with  all  their 
heart,  and  with  all  their  foul".  It  follows  in! 
the  15th  v.  "and  all  Judah  rejoiced  at  the 
oath  ;  for  they  had  fworn  with  all  their  heart : 
and  God  was  found  of  them".  Surely,  nd 
one  will  fay,  that,  by  "all  the  heart",  in  this 
pafTage,  we  are  to    underftarjd  a  heart  that  had 

P  beeri 

with  bad  perfons,  was  called  before  the  church,  and 
admonifhed,  the  3d  of  the  I  ft  month,  1653". 
■ <f  Being  of  the  age  of  21  years,  born  and  bap- 
tifed in  the  fellowihip  of  this  church,  for  his  commit- 
ting the  fin  of  forni«ation,  and  his  contempt  of  the 
church,  that  he  would  not  come  to  hear  them,  was,  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jefus,  and  with  the  confent  of  the 
church,  excommunicated,  on  the  28th  of  the  4th  month 

1657. 

I  have  here  inferted  the  fenfe  of  this  church,  refpeft- 
ing  their  duty  towards  baptifed  perfons,  and  their  practice 
thereupon,  in  a  way  of  difcipline  ;  becaufe,  as  I  ima- 
gine, they  are  truly  fcriptural,   and   if  copied   after, 

"  with  due  care  and  wifdom,  would  ferve  the  church  of 
God  vaftiy  more,  than  all  that  has  ever  been  contrc- 
verfially  wrote,  about  the  right  of  perfons  that  have 
Jbeen  baptifed  to  bring  their  children  to  baptifm,  or  to 

V>  break  bread"   thc»felves  at  the  table  of  the  kcrd* 


I!4  Religious  fears  and  Jernftn^ 

been  renewed  by  the  grace  of  God.  The 
mod  the  pbrafe  can  be  iuppoled  to  import 
U,  that  thev  entered  into  this  covenant  in 
real  earned,  as-  having  in  motion  the  feveral 
palTions  and  arTe&ions  of  their  heart.  So  this 
eunuch  believed,  befcrs  he  was  baptifed  & 
snd  yet,  neither  he,  nor  they,  might  be  the  fub- 
je&s  of  that  fan&ifyirg  grace,  without  which 
they  could  not  enter  into-  that  life  which  is> 
eternal  in  heaven. 

The  other  objection  is  taken  from  thofe 
words  of  the  apoftle  Paul,  which  he  fpakc. 
with  immediate  reference  to  a  participation  at 
the  Lord's- Supper,  i  Cor.  n.  28.  "Let  a 
man  examine  himfelf,  and  fo  let  him  eat  of 
that  bread,  and  drink  of  that  cup".  Now,  a 
man's  having,  or  not  having,  that  faith  which 
interefts  him  in  the  pu-chafes  of  the  redeemer's 
crofs,  being  an  affair  of  the  greateft  impor- 
tance, it  is  fuppofed,  that  this  is  the  faith 
about  which  we  are  di reeled  to  examine 
our  felves,  and  fo  go,  cp  forbear  to  go,  to  the 
Lord's- Supper,  as  we  find  ourfelves  to  be,  or 
net  to  be,  the  fubjecls  of  it. 

In  anfwer  whereto,  I  would  fay.  It  is  rea- 
dily acknowledged  to  be  a  matter  of  great  im- 
portance to  examine  into  our  faith,  that  wp 
c:ay  know,  whether  it  is  a  faith  that  is  connecl- 


mentimed  and  ton/idered.  115 

£d  Mrith  falvation  ;  and  it  may  be  fit  and  pro- 
per, as  it  would  anfwer  fome  very  gocd  ends, 
thus  to  examine  ourfelves,  when  we  are  about 
to  go  to  the  table  of  the  Lord  ;  thotigh  this 
is  not  the  examination  the  apoftle  has  here  in 
his  view.  Tfce  examination  he  directs  to,  does 
not  fo  much  relate  to  the  chriftian's  character 
as  favingly  converted,  as  to  his  knowledge 
and  faith,  with  reference  to  the  facramental 
fupper.  *  The  cafe  was  this,  Tne  Corinthi- 
ans, -to  whom  he  was  now   Writing,   had  been 

very 

*  The  famous   Henry    Stephens,    to  whom   our     greek 
lexicographers   are    greatly   indebted,    and   from  whom 
they  have   greatly  copied,  affixes     to  doUmazo,  as  ex- 
preflive    of  its  meaning,  the    words,    exploro,    prcbo, 
txperior,    examine,  aftimo  ;   and  exhibits  a   number  of 
examples,  from  the  beft   greek  writers,    of  thefe  feve- 
ral  meanings   of  the  word.     And   in  all  thefe  fenfes, 
and   perhaps     in   fome   other,  it   is   uied  in   the  new- 
tcftament-books  ;  examples   of  which   might   eafily  be 
pointed    out.      But,    inilead   of  this,    I   would  rather 
obferve,   that    its    more  fpecial  fenfe  is  always  to   be 
determined    by    its     connexion    in  the    difcourfc    of 
which  it  is  a  part.     It  may  alfo   be  worthy  of  remark, 
whether  it  tigniries,   in  any  place,   to  prtvs,  approve, 
eftesm,  or  the  like,   the  bafij  of   this  meaning  is,  the 
true  meaning  of  the  englilh  word,  examine.     I  would 
further   fay,    to   examine,   explore,   Jift   a    matter    by 
thorough    inquiry,   is    moft   frequently    the     (cn(^    in 
wlilch   d'jkivtazo  •  i$  ufed  ;  though  this  fenfe  is  fignified 

m 


i  i  6  Religious  fears  and  fcruples 

j'^ry  irregular  and  diforderly  in  their  cele- 
bration of  the  Lord's-Supper,  for  which  the 
zrpoftle  ,  in  this  nth  chapter  of  his  epiftle  to 
them,  (harply  reproves  them  •,  and,  in  order 
to  rectify  their  diiorders,  he  particularly  re- 
lates 

in    our    btble-tranflation,     by   various    englifti   words 
of  one  and  the  fame    import.     And  this,  as  I  judge,  is 
its   proper ,    or  more   fpecial,     fenfe    in     the    text  we 
are  upon.      When    the    apoftle   fays,    Dokimazsto  de 
anthropos   eauton" ,  the   translation   in   our  bibles,  "  let 
a  man  examine    himfelf",  is,   I  imagine,     as  proper 
and  juft  an  one  as  could  be  given.     For,   let   it  be  re- 
membered,  in  order    to    rectify    the  diforders    of  the 
church   at  corinth,  in   relation   to     their  obfervance  of 
the  facramental   fupper,  he  had   particularly  recited  to 
them  the  original  inftitution,    as    he  had    received  it 
from  Chrift  himfelf   :      Upon  which   he    immediately^ 
fubjoins,    "let   a  man    examine  himfelf,  and    fo    let 
Kim  eat."     To   what    end  could    he  here   fet,    before 
the  view  of  the   Corinthians,    the  pure,  uncorrupt  in- 
ftitution  of  the   fupper,    if    it  was   not,  that,   by  ex- 
amining   their    conduct  by  it,    fhey   might  be   influ- 
enced to   behave  better  for    the    future.     Surely,    the 
'  duty  here   injoined  them  can     be    no     other,    than    a 
trial    of  their    u   eating"   the    Lord's-Supper    by    the 
inftitution  itfelf,    in  order  to    their  comporting  with 
the  end  propofed  by  it.      His  meaning  may,  I  think, 
be   clearly  and  fully  exprefTed     in    the  following   pa- 
japhrafe,  let  a  man   bring  himfelf  to  the  teft   of  the 
inftitution,  as  1  have  given  it  in  the  words   of  Chrift 
himfelf;  let  him  examine,  explore,  try,  and  lift  him- 
felf 


mentioned  and  conjidered.  \  \  y 

iates  to  them  the  inftitution  of  the  fupper,  as 
he  had  received  the  account  of  it  immediate- 
ly from  Chrift  himfelf,  that,  knowing  its 
nature  and  defign,  they  might  obferve  it  in  a 
more  worthy  manner  In  order  whereto,  his 
direction  follows  "let  a  man  examine  him- 
felf,  and  fo  let  him  eat  of  that  bread,  and 
drink  of  that  cup".     As  if  he  had  faid,  I  have 

laid 

felf  by  it  :  In  this  way,  he  can  be  at  no  lofs  to  de- 
termine, that  his  conduct  will  be  greatly  to  blame,  if 
he  eats  and  drinks  at  the  facramental  fupper  in  that 
irreverent  manner  I  have  defcribed,  and  am  endeavour- 
ing to  reform  ;  but  will  fee  himfelf  obliged  to  do 
this  in  agreement  with  the  nature,  and  defign,  of 
this  facred  appointment  :  "  And  fo  let  bim  eat"  ;  that 
is,  conforming  the  manner  of  his  eating  to  what  up- 
on examinatioa,  he  finds  it  ought  to  be  ;  as  what  tye 
does  in  this  matter  is,  in  obedience  to  a  facred  ap- 
pointment of  Jefus  Chrift.  And  this  fame  trying, 
exploring,  examining,  a  man's  felf,  by  comparing  his 
thoughts,  his  views,  and  his  temper  of  mind,  with 
the  nature  and  de%n  of  the  facramental  inftitution, 
as  kere  recorded  by  the  apoftle,  will,  at  all  times, 
and  with  refpeft  to  all  chriftians,  in  all  places,  have 
an  happy  and  powerful  tendency,  not  only  to  guard 
them  againft  all  irreverence  and  indecency  in  their 
celebration  of  the  Lord's-Supper  ;  but  to  excite  their 
care  to  eat  of  the  bread,  and  drink  of  the  wine 
there,  fo  as  that  they  may  do  this  in  a  manner  be- 
coming fo  facred  a  rite  of  the  religion  of  Jefus 
Ghriit. 


I  !$  Religious  fears  and  fcrupks 

laid   before    you,  in  plain    eafie    words,   the 
nature    and  defign  of  the    facramental  fuppcr* 
as   instituted  by  Jefus  Chrift,     Examine  your* 
felves  by    this    rule,    and  do  it  fenoufly,  care- 
fully  and    faithfully.     This    I    advife  you    to, 
as  a  proper  and  fuitable    expedient  to  prevent 
your    coming  to  this  ordinance   in  the    irreve- 
rent, indecent  manner  you  have  formerly  done. 
In  this  way,  you    may  come    in    a  more    wor- 
thy and    becoming   manner,  to   the   honor    of 
Chrilt,    and  your  own    fpirirual  profir.     What 
the  apoftle   aims  at  is,  to  put  them  upon  duly 
diftinguifhing  between  this  fupper  of  the  Lord, 
and  their  own,  which  they   ate  previous  to   it  $ 
looking  upon   it,  not  as  a  common   meal,   and 
partaking  of    it  as    fuch,    but    as  an   inilituted 
memorial  of  Chrilt's    dying    love.     This    they 
might   do,  though    their    faith  as   yet   was  no 
other  than  that,  which  is    me  effect   of   the  or- 
dinary influence   of  the  divine  Spirit.     Doubt- 
lefs,  a  very  con  fide  r  able    number  of  thefe  Co- 
rinthians had    no    higher    a    faith    than    this  ; 
and    if  the  apoftle   intended,  that  they    mould 
fo   examine   themlelves  as  not  to  come  to    the 
facrament  any  more,  unlefs  they  could  find  that 
they  had  faving  faith,  a  very  great   part  of  this 
church  mu(t  have   abftained  from    the    ufe  of 
this   ordinance.     But  this  the  apoftle   had   not 

in 


mentioned  and  confidtred,  n^> 

m  view.  His  only  defign  was,  to  direct  toTuch 
an  examination,  more  efpccially  in  relation  ta 
the  facramental  fupper,  as  might  happily  in- 
fluence them  to  come  to  it  in  a  more  beco- 
ming manner,  and  as  might  reafonably  be  ex- 
pected of  thofe,  who  eat  and  drink  of  thole 
fymbois,  which  figuratively  reprefent  the  dying 
love  of  Chrift  towards  finners. 

But  the  defign  of  the  apoftle  in  this  chap- 
ter will  be  more  largely  iliuftrated,  when  I 
come  to  confider  the  next  difficulty  that  hin- 
ders many  ferious  chriflians  from  an  approach 
to  the  Lord's  table.  This  is  an  important 
difficulty,  and  the  occafion  of  perplexing  fear 
to  a  great  many.  The  confideration  of  ic 
mult  therefore  be  left  to  fome  other  opportu- 
nity. 

I  shall  only  fay  further  at  prefent,  It  is 
not  an  eafie  matter  for  chriftians,  efpecially 
chriftians  that  are  weak  in  faith,  or  that  are 
but  beginners  in  religion,  to  determine  con- 
cerning their  faith,  that  it  is,  not  of  the  com- 
mon, but  faving  kind.  It  would  therefore  be 
inconvenient  and  Unfit  to  put  them  upon  ftiak- 
ing  this  determination,  previous  to  their  go- 
ing to  the  facrament,  and  as  a  qualification 
in  order  to  ir,  and  without  which  they  might 
*ipt  attend  at  it.     It  would  unavoidably  throw 

th*. 


HP  Rdigicus  fears  and  fcruphs    ■ 

the  minds  of  many  that  are  real  chriftiansy 
as  well  as  other  ferious  well-difpofed  perfons* 
into  perplexity  and  fear,  and  keep  them 
from  coming  to  this  ordinance,  though  they 
might  othcrwife  come  to  it  with  profit  to 
themfelves,  and  fo  as  to  honor  their  mafter 
Jefus  Chrifl.  I  cannot  fuppofe,  the  apoftle 
would  have  given  this  occafion  of  diftreffing 
concern,  as  he  muft  have  done,  in  thoufands 
of  inftances,  if  the  examination  he  direds  to, 
in  this  text,  refers  to  a  determination  of  our 
faith  as  faving,  in  order  to  our  going  to  the 
facramenj. 

The  good  Lord  blefs  what  has  been  now 
faid  to  the  removal  of  thofe  fears,  which  keep 
any  from  the  table  of  the  Lord  j  and  may  there, 
for  the  time  to  come,  be  feen  a  greater  nam* 
ber  of  welcome  guefts  at  it  ! 


AMEN. 


*      m      m      %.      m     4 


S    E    R    M    O    N    V 


Acts.     II.     42. 

^?i  they  continued    Jleadfaftty — in   breaking 
"  of  Bread" 

3e3c3fe      HAVE    taken  occafion  from  this 

f£   i    &*  CCAt  t0  fpeak  to  tn°fe  wn°fe 

^w  ^  minds    are     perplext    with     diffi- 

3^5?  ciilties,  which  keep  them  from 
attending  the  facranuntal  "break- 
ing of  bread,5'  Several  of  thefe  difficulties 
have  been  already  mentioned,  and  that  faid 
which  was  thought  fufficient  for  the  removal 
of  them. 


ReBpcm  fisrs  mi  fcrwfln 
I   now  proceed  to   another  dUncolry,  and 

a    the   waj     ::  many    ferious*  wefl- 

c..*::  r~  :    L:is- table  j  and 

fh  s      :i    :ei:    cf1-*:^    i~  _    dr.->Tg     _  •  - 

:  ::-.!;*',    art :  .-.  ~  z        _ 

dbe  body   and    blooc  be   Lord",    and 

•  damnation    to    thcmlelves".     This 

. :::    bis     _-  -  ■ :  -         ::.::  :      f::~    :    -    - 

:::       :  of  the 

iz~.r..t    ?. ...  I :-      .:.    :  -.      ■  v-     ;   .  -v:  - 

thai]    e::    this   bread,  and  dr:  -5   cup  of 

Lord   unworthily,   fhall   be    :  ::  I  be 

body  and  blood  of  the  Lord9  *^in, 

'  :_.    : :,      *     H: 

-       ::  .-i;y,  :         :    -.     :- 

.    not    c    :  r       .;     the     i_   - 


J       :..,..'.. 


7>::     -:::.".    :-.i    ~:fi    :5:£fjal   way,  as 

I   im:  to         rtatc   this   diilkulty,    aad 

---,  z     :  \  ; "- :  'z     •■-■: :,  :■ 

I    be   perpleaed    with  I  be    to  be 

ar.d     ttkafi     in     aice?  taioirj  u        : 

precife  meaning  of  the  apotUe,  in  the  phrafe 

■  :     :-. '-  :_       _     : 

■  "     ■  -  .    "  :  "  z  ' '  ::  -  •      : :    : "  r  :  - :  / 

mi    blood    of  the   Lore  and    *;    e      ig 

Tination    to  hicnfelf  "  ;  and 

*«£n  at  may    be    oft  td   to 

tr." 


mentioned  and  confidered,  123 

the    cafe    of  thofc,  who  may  be   under    per- 
plexing   fear,    from  thefe    paffages    of    facred 
writ,  in  a  few  remarks,  or  ©bfervations,  fuited 
to   give  them    relrer  and  help. 

I  shall,  in  the  firft  place,  endeavour,' 
with  all  plainr.efs,  to  open  the  meaning  of 
the  apoftle  in  the  above  recited  words,  that 
have  been  the  occasion  of  difficulty  to  ferious 
chriftians. 

Only,  before  I  come  to  this,  I  would 
make  a  previous  note,  and  delire  it  may  be 
particularly  attended  to,  and  all  along  remem- 
bered, in  the  following  difcourfe.  It  is  this. 
The  pafiages  we  are  going  to  explain  are  not 
indepcndanc  fentences,  the  proper  meaning  of 
which  is  to  be  gathered,  from  the  meer  force 
of  the  words,  in  themfelves  fimply,  and  nakedly* 
confidered,  but  parts  of  a  well  cohering  dif- 
courfe ;  and  can  therefore  be  explained  in  no 
way,  but  by  confidering  the  defign  in  view, 
*he  part  they  bear  in  the  difcourfe,  and  how 
they  (land  connected  with  it.  The  not  duly 
confidering  thefe  things  is,  I  believe,  the  rea*. 
fon  their  true  meaning  has  fo  often  been  un- 
happily mifunderftood.  "Eating  and  drinking 
unworthily"  at  the  Lord's  table,  confidered 
in  general,  will  never  lead  one  into  the  true 
meaning  of  it  in  this  place  s  becaufe  the  apoftle 

is 


1*4  Religious  fears  and  fcruphs 

is  fpeaking  of  a  fpecial  cafe,  and  the  particu- 
lar unworthinefs  of  a  particular  number  of 
ehriftians,  which  can  be  known  in  no  wa^ 
but  by  confulting  the  context.  The  nature 
and  meaning  of  this  u  unworthinefs"  and  the 
*'  fpecial  punifhment"  incurred  by  it,  muft  be 
meafuredby  that,  and  by  that  alone;  unlefs 
it  may  be  thought  allowable  to  break  in  upon 
the  apoftle's  courfe  of  reafoning,  and  put  a 
fenfe  on  his  words  that  has  no  pertinency 
to  the  defign  he  is  upon  -,  which  is  certainly 
an  unfair  treatment  of  an  human  writing,  and 
ought  much  lefs  to  be  pradlifed  in  regard  of 
one  that  is  facred,  as  being  of  divine  infpiration. 
Having  made  this  remark,  the  way  is 
clear  to  look  into  the  contexr,  as  the  only 
proper  method  to  underftand  the  apoftle,  in 
the  phrafes  we  are  about  to  explain.  And  by 
doing  this  we  (hall  find,  that  great  diforders, 
particularly  with  reference  to  the  facramental 
fupper,  had  crept  into  the  Corinthian  church. 
It  was  on  account  of  thefe  diforders,  that  the 
apoftle  wrote  this  chapter  ;  and  if  we  would 
know,  what  that  "  unworthy  eating  and  drinks 
ing"  is,  which  he  blames  thefe  Corinthians  for, 
and  would  rectify  for  time  to  come,  we  muft 
know    what    the    indecences,    and   diforders 

were,  that   prevailed  among  them.     For  this 

un~ 


mentioned  and  CQnJidered.  125 

^  unworthinefs"   mud   be  explained  by   thefe 
diforders. 

The  apoftle,  before  he  comes  to  parti- 
cular inftances  of  their  mifcondudl,  declares 
in  general,  as  in  the  1 7.  ver,  "  I  praife 
you  not,  that  you  come  together  not  for 
the  better,  but  for  the  worfe".  More  is 
intended  in  thefe  words  than  is  exprtfled. 
Their  meaning  is,  far  from  commending  yog, 
I  think  you  are  greatly  to  be  blamed.  What 
I  rebuke  you  for,  and  with  feverity  too, 
is,  that,  when  you  affcmble  together  for  the 
performance  of  the  public  offices  of  religi- 
on, you  behave  fo  as  that  your  coming  to- 
gether, inflead  of  being  for  your  fpiritual 
advantage,  tends  rather  to  the  increafe  of 
your    guilt. 

Having  fpoken  thus  generally,  he  now 
comes  to  particulars  •,  mentioning  the  fpecial 
inftances,  wherein  they  were  blame  worthy. 
And  they  are    thefe  that  follow. 

The  firft  is,  their  having  divifions  among 
them.  Says  he,  (ver.  18.)  "  when  ye  come 
together  in  the  church,  I  hear  there  are  di- 
vifions among  you  ;  and  I  partly  believe  it." 
It  fhould  feem  it  was  by  report  from  others, 
and  not  perfonal  knowledge,   that  he   became 

acquainted  with  this  diforder  in  the  church 

at 


t  i  5  Religious  fears  and  fcrupks 

at  Corinth.     But  fuch    was  his  intelligence* 
that    he     believ'd     it    "in  part",   or  rather   . 
fully   "  of  part"   of  the  church.     And  a  fcan- 
dalous   diforder   this  was*     The  word,  (in  the 
original    Schifmata)     here  tranflated  civifions  ; 
means,  not   meerly,   or  only,  divifions  in  their 
affeftions   towards    each    other,    but   divifions 
in    their  outward   conduft.      It   is   true,  they 
met   together  in    the  fame  place  for  commu- 
nion   at   the  Lord's- Supper,   but  it    was  in  a 
fchifmatical  manner,   dividing  thernfelves  into 
parties,  and    not  appearing,  as  they  ought  to 
have  done,  as  one  body,  affectionately  united  in 
commemorating    the    dying     love     of    their 
common   Lord.     It    cannot  be  deduced  from 
any  thing  that    is   faid   in    this    chapter,    or 
in  any   part    of  the   epiftle,  that   they  had  as, 
yet  feparated  from  each   other  under  the  form 
of  different  fetts,   meeting  in  different    places 
for   worfhip  :  but    the     apoftle     tells     them, 
that   fo   it  might   be   expected  it   would    be. 
The    prejudices,   the     lufts,    and     unfubdued 
tempers  of  men  would  lead   to  this,    and  God 
in     his    righteous   providence    might    permit 
it,    that  it  might   be    made   to  appear    who, 
upon  trial,  would  be  approved  as  ftedfaft  and 
immoveable.     So  his  words  run,  ver.  19,  "  For 

there  muft   be  alfo  herefies    [  in  the  original, 

Aire/eis 


'mentioned  and  conjidered.  ^27 

AtnfeiS)  fifts  *  J  among  you,  that  they  which 
are  approved  may  be  made  manifeft  among 
you".  But  though  this  corinthian  church  wa* 
not  at  prefent  divided  into  two,  or  more 
feparate  focieties,  but  continued  one  chriftian 
community,  meeting  together  in  the  fame 
place,  yet  they  behavtd  in  their  afiemblies 
in  an  unbrotherly,  fa&ious  and  fchifmatical 
manner.  The  apoftle,  accordingly,  applies  to 
them,  as  in  the  20  vcr.  M  when  ye  come  to- 
gether therefore  into  onf   place,  f  this  is  not 

to 

*  The  englifh  word,  herejie,  is,  by  ecclefiaftical 
writers,  moft  commonly,  if  not  always,  reftrained  in 
its  meaning  to  doEtrinal  tenets,  fuppofed  to  be  dange- 
roufly  corrupt  ;  but  this  is  not  the  fenfe  of  the 
greek  word,  airejis  from  whence  it  is  derived,  as 
ufed  in  the  new-teftament-books.  It  rather  means 
what  we  call  a  feSf,  or  people  in  a  ftate  of  fepera- 
tion  from  others,  and  meeting  together  as  a  different 
denomination.  I  have  looked  over  all  the  places  in 
the  new  teftament,  where  the  word  is  ufed,  and  find 
that  this  is  the  fenfe  in  which  it  is  to  be  underftood, 
in  every  text,  one  only  excepted,  which  may  admit 
of  difpute. 

f  The  phrafe,in  the  original,  epi  to  auto,  being  of 
the  neutral  kind,  may  as  well  fignifie  vjith  the  fame 
dcfign,  for  the  fame  thing,  as  to  cue  place  ;  and  it  is 
accordingly  often  fo  to  be  underftood.  But  the  tranfla- 
tion  here,  to  one  place,  beft  fuits  the  connection,  as  I 
imagine* 


ltd  F^igious  fears  and  fcrizpks 

to  eat  the  Lord's-Supper."  As  if  he  had 
faid,  though  you  afTemble,'  as  a  chriftian 
fociety,  in  one  and  the  fame  place,  and 
there  eat ;  yet  you  do  it  after  fuch  a  man- 
ner, that  it  would  be  a  difhonour  to  a  facred 
inftitution  of  Chrift,  to  fpeak  of  it  as  eating 
the  Lord's  Supper,  This  leads   to 

A  number  of  other  faults,  thefe  Corin.r 
thians  are  obvioufly  charged  with,  and  fevere- 
\y  reproved  for  j  as  we  may  fee,  in  the  2  (9 
and  2 2d  ver.  in  which  they  arc  thus  addref- 
fed,  H  in  eating  every  one  takcth  before  other 
his  own  fupper,  and  One  is  hungry,  and  ano- 
ther is  drunken.  What !  have  ye  not  houfes 
to  eat,  and  to  drink  in  ?  or  defpife  ye  the 
church  of  God,  and  fliame  them  that  have 
not  ?  (hall  I  praife  you  in  this  ?  I  praife 
you    not"  ? 

Their  having  a  u  fupper  of  their  own" 
in  the  houfe  of  God,  when  about  to  cele- 
brate the  fupper  of  the  Lord,  is  here  evi- 
dently fpoken  of  as  indecent  and  irregular. 
When  the  apoftle  fays,  <c  every  one  eateth 
before  other  his  own  fupper",  it  is  eafie  to 
perceive,  that  he  alludes  to  a  cuftom  which 
had  obtained  among  them,  whatever  gave  rife 
to   it,    namely,  that    of  having  a  common  feaft 

in  the   place  of  worfhip,    here    called  H  their 

own 


mentioned  and   confukred.  \i^ 

own  fupper,"  *  either  previous  to,  cr  mixed 
with,  the  <w  Lord,s-Supper.,,  This  he  plainly 
condemns,  and  would  reprefent  as  a  diforder 
unhappily  introduced  among  them.  What  elfe 
can  be  the  meaning  of  thole  feverely  reprehen- 
five  interrogatives,  "  what,  have  ye  not  houfes 
to  eat  and  to  drink  in  ?  or  defpife  ye  the 
church    of  God"    ?     As  if  he    had   laid,  Is  ic 

R  not 

*  There  is  no   room  to  queftion,  whether   chrifti- 
ans,    in   the    apoftolic   age,   and   afterwards,   had   their 
feafts,     their  agaprf,  that  is,  their  love  or  charity  f caffs* 
Jude  fpeaks  of   thefe   feafts  ;    fo   does   Ignatius,  which 
may   give  fome  a  favorable  opinion  of  them  ;   fo  do 
Clement     of  Alexandria,     Tertuliian,    and   others.     It 
does  not   appear,   from   any   thing    that   is   faid  in   any 
paflage   in    the   new-teftament    books,   that   thefe  feafts 
were   a   divinely   inftituted    preface,    or    appendix,     to 
the    Lord's-Supper.     They     were,   without     all   doubt, 
the    invention  of  man.     Probably,  they  might  take  rife, 
with   refpccl    to   both  Jeivifn  and  Gentile   converts    to 
the    chriftian  faith,     from  the   fame   general   caufe. 

We   all    know    it  was  after    our   Lord   had   eat,  the 
paffover-feaft   with'  his  difciples,  that  he  eat    with    them 
his   ovon   fupper  ;    and  he   did   it    with  what   remained 
of  the  paftbver  bread    and   wine,    firft   folemnly  fepa, 
rating  them   to    the    fpecial   ufe  of   remembering   him. 
The    Judaizing     chriftians,   under    the    guidance  (h   is 
likely  ^  of  Judaizing  ttachers,  introduced  of  their  own 
heads,   tinged  with    jewiili     fuperftition,    a  fupper  pre- 
vious to    the   Lord'st    as   the  Lord's-Supper,  when  firft 
inilituted,    was   preceeded    with     the     paffover-fuDper. 

Ar4 


r3©  Religions  fears  and  fcrupkt 

rot  to  your  d  fzrace,  and  can  you  do  any- 
other  than  think  fo.,  that  you  make  the 
houfc  of  God  a  place  for  common  feafting, 
when  you  have  houfes  of  your  own,  you  may 
ufe  to  this  purpofe,  as  proper  occafions  may 
be  offered  therefor  ?  Your  confeiencts,  duly 
enlightened,,  will  reproach  yoo  for  iuch  un- 
fuirabte  conduct.  1  cannot  but  fnppofe,  that 
thefe  fuppers,  in  the  place  of  worfhip,  and 
corjoined,  as  it  were,  with  the  Lord's,  let  them 
be    called    Uve-fafrs^    or   by    whatever   o.her 

name 

And  this  previous  fupper  of  their's  might,  as  to  the 
principles  of  its  introduclion,  favor  fo  much  of  that 
which  was  JexviJJi  in  religion,  as  to  give  occaficn  of 
offence  to   the    Gentile   chriftians. 

On   the  otnerhand,  the  Gcnti'e  chriftiaLS,  as  the  Lord's-, 
fupper  was    confequent  upon  a    feaft,  fome  of    the  me.- 
terials     of   which    were     fet   apart    and   confecrated   in 
remembrance  of  Chrift,  might  think  it  proper  to  pre- 
face  the    fupper   of  the    Lord   with  one   of  their  own, 
making  uh   of    the    bread,    and    wine    of  their    own 
fupper   in  their  obfervance   of    our  Lord's.     And  ther6 
may   be  the  more  reafen  to   give  this   rife  to   this  pre- 
vious   funper    among     the    greeks,   as    it  is    known  to 
have  been  their  cuftora   to  ha_ve  focial  feafts    or  flippers. 
I   would   add  here,  this  previews  fupper,  thus   differen- 
ced as  to  the  cirumftances  attending  its  rife,  with  refpect 
to  the  Jcxvifn    and    Gentile    chriltians,    ftiight    be    one 
oecaiion   of  the  ($chifma.ta)  div/Jions  there  were   amon^ 
Skem,  and  coaiplaintd  of  by  the  apoftle  in  the.   i8ih  ver. 


Mentioned  and    confidered.  iai 

riimj;  arc  hfre  fjL-mly  prohibited  by  the 
apoitle  ;  efpecially,  when  h^  aids,  "  fhall  t 
praife  you  in  t'r.s  ?  I  praife  yoa  not.''  Hi 
could  fcarce,  in  any  wav  of  d:clion  that  was 
rfiore  linking,  hive  exprcfTrd  his  condemnation 
of  this  pra&ice  among  them. 

Anjt'ier  irregularity  they  arc  rebuked  for^ 
is,  their  confounding,   or  lb  mingling,  "  their 
own"    with    the    "  Lord's-Supper,"   that  they 
were    neither  properly,   nor  fufficiently    diftin- 
guilhed   from    each   other,    as    thty   ought    t© 
,have   been.     It   is    with   fpecia!    reference    to 
this  diibrder,  that  the   apoftte  charges  them, 
ver.    29,    with'    "  not  decerning    the    Lord's  • 
body",  or,    as    the    original    words,     \me  dia- 
•krinon\  might,  perhaps,  be  more   properly    ren- 
dered, "  n  ;t  differencing  *,  not  difcriminating, 
the     Lord's    body,"    that    is,    the  facrsmental 
bread,   ftguraiively  called    by  our  Savior  in  the 
iuftitution  or   *'his  flipper,",  and  by    the  apoftle 
Paul  in  this    chapter,    "  the    body   of  Chrifl", 

from 

*  So  the  original  word  means,  and  is  tranflated  to 
mean,  in  the  following  texts,  Ac~t.  15.  9.  1.  Cor.  4. 
7.  Jude  ver.  22.  And  this,  undoubtedly,  is  its  moie 
fpecial  meaning  here  ;  leading  us  to  think,  efpecially 
comparing  this  29th  with  the  33d  ver.  that  cne  thing  the 
Corinthians  are  blamed  for  is,  their  eating  the  Lord's- 
'Supper  as  a  part  of  their  own,  or  fo  mingling  them 
together,  as  not  to  preferve  a  due  diftincUon  between 
them;    which   moll  certainly  they   ought    to  have  dope. 


fjl  Religious  fears   and  Jcruples 

n  the  bread  cf  "  their  own  fopper.'1 
And  in  ih-ir  way  of  celebrating  the  "(upper 
of  the  Lord",  it  is  plain  it  was  tibt  luitably 
differenced,  or  difcriminated,  fiom  their  "own 
(upper"  ;  ncr  did  it  appear,  as  in  ought  to 
have  done,  an  open,  folemn,  relrg'otts.  deck- 
ration,   or    (hewing  forth,  of  his    death. 

Another  fault  Mill  they  are  charged  with 
is,  their  fo  eating  their  own  (upper  as  to  be- 
tray a  want  of  thai  kindnefs,  yea,  that  com- 
mon decency,  which  would  have  been  blame- 
worthy in  thofe  who  knew  nothing  of  Christi- 
anity. By  comparing  the  2  id  with  the  33d 
ver.  we  fhall  find,  that  they  did  not  "tarry 
for  one  another",  but  as  they  came  to  the 
place  of  wprlhip  fell  to,  as  the  vulvar  phrafe 
is,  and  eat  every  one  of  what  he  had  brought  -r 
by  which  means  thofe  who  had  brought  a 
plenty  were  fatiated,  while  thole  who,  being 
poor,  had  brought  nothing,  were  made  afha- 
med,  not  having  wherewithal  to  keep  them 
from  hunger.  A  ftrange  manner  of  conduct 
this  !  It  net  only  difcovered  the  prefent  inope- 
ratjoa  of  that  brotherly  kindnefs,  which  is  the 
glory  of  a  chriftian,  but  downright  incivility  ; 
and  they  are  both  aggravated,  as  they  were 
now     purpofely    aflembied,     and    aifembling, 

rhac 


mentioned  and  conjidtred.  13  3 

th.:t  they  might  unite    in    celebrating   a    facred 
rice  of   the  religion   of   Jeius.   * 

The     lad,     but     grcattft    diforder,    among 

thcie 

*  The  diforder  complained  of,  in  the  above  para- 
graph, alwavs  appeared  unaccountable  to  me,  until  I 
had  the  opportunity  of  reading  Raphelius's  "  phil  7  - 
gical  ahnctations"  ;  where  1  met  with  thefe  v. 
vol.  ii.  pag.  344,  "  moris  fait  athenis"— that  is,  "it 
was  a  cuftom  among  the  atheniass,  in  the  age  of  So- 
crates, for  perfons  who  came  to  a  fupper,  to  brir.g 
every  one  of  them  fomething  for  himfelf  ;  which  was 
hot  made  common  to  all,  but  for  the  moft  part  every 
one  eat  that  which  was  his  own.  An  example  of 
this  he  holds  out  to  view  from  Xencphon,  in  his 
" memorab",  lib.  in.  pag.  623;  which  is  as  full  an 
illuftration  of  this  diforder  among  the  Corinthians  as 
can  be  defired.  The  words  are  thefe  ;  "  Opcte  de" — In 
engliih  thus,  "  when  of  thefe  who  came  together  that 
they  might  fup,  fome  had  brought  with  them  a  very 
little,  others  a  great  deal  of  provifion,  Socrstes  ordered 
a  lad  to  put  the  little  in  common,  or  to  dirlribute  to 
each  a  part:  In  confequence  of  which,  thofe  who  had 
brought  a  plenty  with  them  were  both  afhamed  not  to 
partake  of  what  was  ferved  up  in  common,  and  not 
to  produce  their  cwn.  They  therefore  put  down  their 
provifions  in  common,  and  becaufe  they  enjoyed  no 
more  than  thofe  who  had  brought  but  little,  they  defifled 
from  expending  much  in  procuring  vicluals".  Itfhould 
feem,  from  this  citation,  that  even  a  Socrates  was  afha- 
med of  that  diforderly  conduct  among  the ,  pagan 
Greeks,  at  their  collation  /uppers,  which  appears  to 
have  been  continued  among  the  Corinthians  after  their 
converfion  to   chriflianity. 


134  Religious  fears  and  fcrnples 

theie    Corinthians,  was   their  excrfs,  or  intempe*- 
ranee  \    which,  at  any  time,  is  highly  criminal, 
but   eminently   fo  when   about    to   eat   br?ad, 
and   drink    wine,   at    the   facramental    fupper. 
The  charge   aga inn:  them,   in   the    2  1  it  vtr   is, 
not  only   that,  "in    eating  every    one    taketii 
before  other  his  own  topper",  buz    that,  while 
"one    is    hungry,    another  drunken**.     It    has 
been  thought  fcarce  poffible,  that  thefe  chrifli- 
ans,    especially  while  together   in  order  to  cele- 
brate   fo  folemn  a  rite    as    that  of  the  Lord's- 
Supper,    fhouid  be  chargtabic  with  drunkennefe* 
literally  andgrofsly  fpeakinkj.     Expofitors  there- 
fore have  commonly  undesflood  the    word  here 
in  a  more   lax    fenle  \    fuppofing  the   moil  that 
can    be   meant  by  it   is,    that    they  had    ufed 
too  great  freedom  at   their  "own  fupper",  eat- 
ing  and    drinking  to  a   degree  of  excels  ;  and 
that,    in  this  unfuitable    frame,    they   partook, 
ibme  of   them,  of   the    facramental    bread    and 
wine.     And  this  was  the  thought  i  was  led    to 
entertain    of  this  matter,  until  I  had  given  it  a 
more  critical  examination  ;    fince  which  I  rrna- 
gine,'t  may  juftly  be  fufpecled,  rhat  fome,  among 
thofe  who   had  brought  a    lufficiency  for  a  iull 
repaft,    were    guilty   of    intemperance   in   too 
grofs  a-  fenfe  of  the  word.  * 

*  The   principal  reafon  inclining    me    to    judge,    that 
* -fome  of    the  chriftlan    profei3brs    at    Corinth,     were 

chargeable 


mentioned  and  cw/tdered.  ji? 

Thfse  now  were  the  indecencies  and  irre- 
gularities of  the  Corinthian  chriitians,  with 
reference  to  the  holy  ,'acramenral  fuppcr.  Ac- 
cordingly, th^z /pedal  unwcrthinefs,  I  am  ex- 
plaining, which  the  apoftle  would  fallen  upon 

them, 

chargeable  with    intemperance  in  a    worfe  fenfe    than 
expofitors     commonly     fuppcfe,    is     this.     The   word, 
Mstkuci,   here  tranflated,     is    drunk,    really    means,  in 
all  its  grammatical  variations,  throughout  the  new  tcfta- 
ment,  and  is  accordingly  translated  in  our  bit  let-  io  as 
to  mean,    this   kind  of   intemperance,    one    place  only 
excepted  ;   which,   perhaps,  had  as  well  been  trajii]att;d, 
fo  as  to   carry  a   fenfe    more  nearly  agreeing  with  that, 
in    which    all   the     others   are  taken,    as    we   may    fee 
prefently.     In   the  mean    time  I   would    obferve,     the 
fubftantives,   Methue,   and  Methufos,  are  to  be   met  with 
in  five  texts  :  the  former  in  three,  Luk.   21.    34.  Rom. 
13.     13.  Gal.    5.   21.  ;    the  latter    in  two,     1  Cor.   5. 
J  I,    and  6.   10.     The     verb   paflive,    Methuskomai,    is 
found    in    three  places,    Luk.     12.     4c.    Eph.    c.    18. 
7    Thef.     c.    7.    The   verb     active,     Metheuo,   is   ufed, 
betides    in  John  2.    10,   the  excepted    place,    in  Matt. 
24.   49.   Acts   2.   15,  in  the  text  we  are  upon,  in  Thef. 
5.    2.  Rev.    17.    2,     and   in  the    fixtji    verfe  :    In    all 
which  texts,  it   not  only  fignifies,    but -by  our  tranfla- 
tors  is  made  to  fignirie,   a  groflly  faulty  excefs  in  drink- 
ing.    It  would  therefore  carry    with  it  the  appearance 
of  a  defign  to   ferve  a  caufe,  ftiould  we  depart,  in  this 
place,  from  the   invariably  tranilated,  as  well  as  genu-* 
ine  fenfe  of  the  word,  wherever  it  is  to  be  met  with 
in  the   new-teftament  books  :   Nor  is  it  eafily  fuppofe- 

ablc, 


i  Ai  Relhious  fears   and  fcruples 

them,  mud  be  considered  in  connection  here, 
with,  and  interpreted  hereby.  It  accordingly 
means*  in  one  word,  the  fame  thing  pre- 
cTfHv  with  their  celebration  of  the  Lora's- 
Sup,>er  in  that  diforderly,  irreverent,  and 
prophane    manner    that   had    been    mentioned. 

The 

able,  the  apoftle   would  have   u  fed  this  word,  which  has 
ib  bad  a  meaning,  if  he  had   intended  only  fomc  light 
degree   of   excefs.     It  will,  probably    be  faid  here,   it 
would  be  too  great  a  reflexion  on  any     of  thefe  chrifli- 
ans   to  fuggeft,  that  they   were  intemperate    to  the  ex- 
cefs that  has    been    mentioned  ;    and   that     the    wan: 
of  candor  only     could  influence    any  to  put    fo  fevere 
a  fenfe  on  the     word  ufed    by  the  apoftle.      The  plain 
anfvver  is,  the  apoftle  would  not  have  ufed   this  word, 
if  he  had  not  intended  to  convey  by  it  the  fenft    it   is 
always  taken  in,  and  by  himfelf  too,  every  where  in  the 
facred  books.     The  charge  therefore  of  too  great  feverity' 
in   reflecling  upon    thefe  chriftians,  if    juft,   muft  light 
upon  the  apoftle, and  not  on  thofe  who  interpret  his   word* 
according  to   their  invariable  ufe,  both    in  the   gofpels, 
and  epiftles.     The  only  way  to  exprefs  candor  towards 
them  is' to  obferve,  in  mitigation  of  their  fault,  which 
was  a  very    grofs  one,    that  intemperance  at    collation 
/uppers,   among  ,the  Greeks,  had    been    common;     and 
the  pafs over  meal,   among  the  Jews,  was  allowed  to  be 
a  full  one  ;    and  too  often  it  was  carried   into  txccU. 
If  therefore  fome   of  thefe    chriftians,    whether    from 
judaifm,    or  gentilifm,  through   the  force    of  habit  not 
fully  eradicated, and  by  being  off  their  guard,  had   been 

unhappily  betrayed  into  what  may   be  juft ly    called  in- 

temperante; 


mentioned  and  ccn/idered.  ?,/. 

The  apoftle  is  to  be  understood,  as  i-f  he  hacj 
/aid>  he  that  eateth  and  -drinketh  in  the  man- 
ner I  have  pointed  out,  is  the  He  that  "  eat- 
eth and  drinketh  unworthily".  Thefe  thing? 
are  connected  in  his  difcourfe,  and  expLirj 
.each  other. 

But  Tome,  perhaps,  will  fay,  is  this  all  th$ 
unworthy  eating  and  drinking  at  the  L.ord\sT 
-table,  ,  th at  gueils  there  may  be  chargeable 
with  ?  I  anfwer  at  once,  without  the  leafl: 
hefitaiion,  no,  by  no  means.  There  are  other 
ways,  wherein  peribns  may   bring  upon  them- 

5  felves 

temperance  in  drinking,  it   ought  not  to  be  looked  upon 

.as  incredible.     Dr.  Whitby's  note   on  the  word,  O;  de 

metheuei,  and  another   is  drunken,  I  mall  think    proper 

to  infert  here.    Says  he,  <(  This  may  either. refer  to  the 

GentiU  converts    among  the  corinthians,   retaining  iiill 

their  heathen    cuftom  of"  drinking  liberally   after   their 

iacririces,      whence     viethuein,    to     be    drunk,      is,    by 

/grammarians,  thought  to  have  its  original  from   meta  to 

jthuein,   becaufe  of  the  free   drinking  they  indulged    to 

after  their  facrifices  ;  or  to  the  judaizipg  converts,,  w.]id 

I     thought   themfclves  obliged  to  drink  plentifully  at  their 

feftivals,   four  large   cups  of  wine,  fays  Dr.   Lightfoot, 

at   the  Pafchal-f upper,   and   to    be  quite    dnpk,    fays 

Eupttorf,  in   the   feaft  of  Purw". w-'l   have   now  .given 

my   opinion,     Let  every  one  judge  for   himfelf. 

It  was  faid  juft  now,  there  was  a  text,  John  2.  lb, 
in  which  the  fame  word,  that  is  here  ufed  by  the 
apqftle,   is   tranflated  in  our  bibles,  well  drank"  :    not 

importing  any  criminal  degree  in  drinking.     There  #  as 

■ 


i$l  Religious  fears  and  fcruples 

felves  this  guilt.  AH  fuch  do  fo,  who  eat 
and  drink  of  the  facramental  bread  and  Wine 
in  a  carelefs.  thoughtlefs,  inattentive,  cufto* 
mary  manner  ;  much  more  may  unwofthi- 
nefs  be  charged  upon  thofe,  who  come  to  the 
fupper  of  the  Lord  to  ferve  their  reputation, 
or  that  they  may  be  under  better  advantage 
to  carry  on  their  worldly  defigns  ♦,  and  it  may 
in  a  worfe  fenfe  Hill,  and  in  as    bad  an  one 

as 

no  need    of  giving  the  word  fo  low  a  fenfe,  and  fa 
different  an  one  from  that  in  which  it  is  every  where 
elfe  taken  in  the  new-teftament.     For,  let  it  be    obfer* 
ved,  what  is  here  faid  was  fpoken,  not  by  our  Savior,nor 
as  insinuating  a  charge  againft  any  of  the  prefent  guefts* 
but  referring  to  what  had  been  a  cuftom  upon  fuch  oc« 
cafions.     The   word,  tncthusthofi ,   might     therefore  here 
have  well    enough  been  tranflated  in  a  fenfe  nearer  to 
the  genuine  import  of  the  word,  in  other  texts  ^of  the 
new    teftament.    The  "  new  verfion  of  the    new-tcfta- 
ment",  by   an   anonymous   author,  has  it  thus,  "when 
the  guefts  had  drank  pretty  freely".    Harwood,  in  his 
late  "  tranflation  of  the  new- teftament",  gives  it   thi* 
fenfe,  "  when  the  tafte  of  company  was  blunted  witl* 
drinking".    And   if  it  had  been  literally    and  ftri&ly 
tranflated,     "  when  they  were  overcome    with  drink"* 
it  would,  as  I  imagine,  have  been  but  a  fair  and  juft 
verfion  ;    nor  would  fuch  a  one  have  carried  with  it  the 
leaft  reflection,  either    upon  our    Savior,    or     any  of 
the  guefts  with  whom  he  was  now  at     a  wedding.    The 
word  refers  wholly  to  a  cuftom,  in  that  day  at  wedding* 
feafts  ;  when  if  fome  of  the  company  had  drank  too 
much,  it  would  not  have  been  ftrange ;  and,  perhaps* 
&is  was  no  uncommon  thing. 


mentioned  and  tonjidered*  isq 

as  can  eafily   be    conceived  of,    be  fattened 
on  your  irreligious,  prophane  men,  who,  with- 
out any  becoming  fenfe  of  God,  or  regard  to  his 
Son,  but  folely  with  a   view  to    qualify  them- 
felves  for  fome   peft  of  honor,  or  profit,  kneel 
before  the  altar,  and   take  into  their  polluted 
mouths  the   facred   fymbols  of  the    body   an<i 
blood  of  Chrift.     In  a  word,  it  may  juftly  be 
faid  of  all,  that  they  eat  and  drink  unworthi- 
ly,   who  do  not    do  it   conformably   to   the 
nature   and  defign    of  this  inftituted  rite,  and 
as  it  is  fit  and  reafonable  it  flxould   be  done. 
But  all  this  notwithstanding,  the  facial  unwor- 
tbinefs,  the    apoftle  is  here  fpeaking  of,  is  that 
fchifmatical,    diforderly,   non-differencing,  and 
intemperate     attendance    at   the    facramenta! 
fupper,   which  he  had  been  blaming,  and  con- 
demning, the  Corinthians  for  :  Nor  can  any  be 
guilty  of  "  unworthily  eating    and    drinking" 
in    that  fpeeial   fenfe,   in    which  this   fault   is 
charged  upon  this  chriftian  fociety,  unlefs  they 
eat  and  drink  at  the  holy  fupper   of  the  Lord, 
in  the    like  indecent,    irregular,  and  prophane 
manner  which  they  did. 

Having  thus   explained    the     firfl    words, 
that  have   been    the   occafion  of  difficulty  to 
ferious    minds,   "  He  that   eateth  and  drink- 
eth   unworthily",  I  go  on  to  do  ihe   fame   by 
the  next,  "ihall   be.  guilty  of  the  body  and 


•140  Religious  fears  and  fcflipks 

blood  of  the  Lord".  Some,  through  weak- 
nefs,  the  undue  influence  of  fear,  or  a  mind 
Unhappily  tinclured  with  fuperftition,  have 
been  kept  from  the  facramental  (upper,  bs- 
ing  led,  by  thefe  words,  to  imagine,  that, 
mould  they  unworthily  partake  of  it,  they 
would  be  chargeable  with  the  very  fin  the 
Jews  were,  when,  literally  fpeaking,  they 
**  wounded  the  body,  and  died  the  blood  of 
Chriil".  But  this  is  fo  vain  an  imagination, 
ft>  grofs  a  contradiction  not  only  to  the  known 
life  of  thefe  words  in  fcripture,  but  to  com- 
mon fenfe,  that  the  bare  mentioning  of  it  is 
fufficient  to  expoie  it  as  ridiculoufly  abfurd. 
"  The  body  and  blood  of  Ghri(i",  here  fpo„ 
ken  of,  are  to  be  interpreted,  not  in  the  lite- 
ral, but  figurative  fenfe.  They  mean,  not 
iC  his  real  body  and  blood",  buc  thefe  fymbo- 
lically  confidered,  or  as  reprefented  under  the 
emblematical  figns  of  "bread  and  wine",  at 
the  facrament.  So  the  words  were  meant  by 
our  Savior  in  the  in&itutibn  of  the  fupper* 
and  fo  they  are  underftood  by  the  apoftle  Paul 
in  this  very  chapter,  in  the  account  he  has 
given  of  the  original  confecration  of  "the  bread 
and  wine". 

Accordingly,  when   it   is   faid   of  thofe, 
who  ^eat  and   drink  unworthily"  ac  the  facra- 

tnent] 


mentioned  and  confidereL  141 

ment,  that  they  arc  "  guilty  of  the  body  and 
blood  of  the  Lord",  the  true  meaning  is,  that 
they  jullly  expofe  themfelves  to  that  judgment 
God  will  inflict  upon  thofe,  who  make  an 
undue,  finful,  and  prophaneufe  of  that  "bread 
and  wine",  which,  facramentally,  figuratively, 
or  fymboiically,  are  M  the  body  and  blood  of 
ChriiV\  What  this  judgment  in  ipecial  is,  as 
threacned  in  this  chapter,  we  go  on  to  (how,1 
under  the  laft  words  we  propoied  to  explain, 
namely, 

"  Eating  and  drinking,  damnation  to  one's 
felf ",  in  cafe  of  eating  and  drinking  u  unwor- 
thily'* at  the  Lord's  table.  The  englifti  word, 
damnation,  does  not  anfwer  to  the  true  import 
of  the  greek  word  (Krima)  here  ufed  by  the 
apoftle.  And  it  is  a  thaufand  pities  it  was 
thus  tranflated,  as  it  has  been,  unhappily,  the 
occafion  of  much  perplexity  to  many  ferious 
good  chriltians.  Says  the  excellent  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge, in  his  note  upon  this  word,  "I  think 
it  the  mod  unhappy  miftake  in  all  our  verfion 
of  the  bible,  that  ^the  word,  Krima,  is  here 
rendered  damnation.  It  has  raifed  a  dread  in 
tender  minds,  which  has  greatly  obstructed  the 
comfort,  and  edification,  they  might  have  re- 
ceived from  this  ordinance".  I  fully  join 
with  this  great  and  good  man  in  the  fentirnent 
Saere  exprefTcd  ;  and  the  rather,  becaufe,  ha- 
ving 


142  Religious  fears  and  fcruples 

ying  confulted  all  the  expofhors,  and  writer* 
upon  the  facramental  fupper,    I  could  come 
to  the  fight  of,  I   find,  that  they  unite  as  one 
in  fpeaking  of  the  "  judgment",  more  efpeci- 
ally  intended  here  by  the  apoftle,  zs  of  the 
temporal  kind,  not  of  "damnation"  in  the  fu- 
ture world.     It  is  true,  this   word  (Krima)  is 
fometimes  ufed  to   fignify  the   damnation   of 
liell ;  but  it  ofener  means  judgment   in  this 
prefent  ftate.     The  apoftle  Peter  fays,  ( 1 .  Epif. 
4.  17.)   "The  time  is  come,  when  judgment 
(  Krima)  is  to  begin  at  the  houfe   of  God". 
Will  any  one  fay,   damnation  to  future  wrath 
is   the  judgment   htre   meant  ?   It  cannot   be 
fuppofed.     The  evangelift    Luke   (chap.    23. 
40.  )  brings  in  one  of  the  malefactors,  who  were 
crucified  with  our  Lord,  rebuking  the  other 
in    thefe  words,   "  doft   thou   not    fear   God, 
feeing     thou  art   (en   to  Krima)  in   the  fame 
condemnation"  ;   that  is,  adjudged  to  one  and 
the  fame   temporal   death  :  Yea,  in    the   24th 
chap.  20th  ver.   he  fpeaks  of  the  chief  priefts, 
and   rulers,  as  having  delivered  our  Lord   (en 
Krima    tbanatou)  to   be  condemned  to  death  : 
Not  furely  to  damnation   in  a  future   world. 
It  would  be  blafphemous  to  fugged   fuch  an 
untruth.     From  thefe  texts  it  appears,  that  the 
word  (  Krima)   we   are  now  explaining,  may* 
agreeably  to   its   ufe   elfewhere    in    fcripture* 

mean* 


mentioned  and  conjsdered.  143 

mean,   not  punifhment  in   hell,    but   temporal 
evil    in  this  world. 

And  that  this  was  the  judgment  the  apoftJe 
had  dire&ly  in  his  eye,  when  h«  made  ufe  of 
the  word  Krima>  which,  in  our  bibles,  is  tranfla- 
ted  "  damnation**,  he  has  taken  all  proper  care 
to   puc  beyond   all  reafonable  difputc.     For, 
let   it  be  particularly  minded,  in   the  verfe  im- 
mediately following  that  wherein    he  fays,  "he 
that  eateth   and   drinketh    unworthily,  eatcth 
and  drinketh  damnation  to  himfelf",  he  adds, 
as  though  on  purpofe  to  prevent  our  miftaking 
his  meaning,  in  the  ufe  of  the  word  tranflated 
damnation,  "  for    this  CAusE,many  are  weak, 
and  (ickly   among  you,  and   many  fleep".     As 
if  he  had  faid,  your  diforderly,  prophane  man- 
ner, at  the  facramental   (upper,  has  brought 
down   upon  you  the  judgments  of  God.     For 
this   caiifc,  on  account  of  this  your  unworthi- 
nefs,   he  has   vifited  you  [  perhaps,  a   miracu- 
lous vifitation  may  be  here  intended]  with  bodi- 
ly difeafes,   and   temporal  death  itfelf :    And 
this  you  have  had  exemplified  among  you,  in 
many  in  (lances*  of  thofe,  who  have  been  fick, 
and  died.     But  to  make  it  yet  more   certain, 
that  by  this  Krima,  which  has  been  unhappi- 
ly tranflated  by  the  englifh  word  "damnation", 
in  our   bibles,  we  are  to  understand  temporal 

judgment,  and  not  the  miferiei  of  hell,  the 

apofUc* 


144  Rtligious  feats  and  fmiplti 

apoftle,   in  the  32c}  ver.  has  exprefsly  affignec!, 
the  reafon  of  the   infliction  of  the  punifliment 
(Krima)   he  had   fpoken  of.     His    words  are 
thefe,    "when*  we  are  judged,  we  are  chaftened 
of  the  Lord,   that  we  might  not  be  condemn- 
ed with  the  world".     You  obferve,  the  evil,  or 
punifliment,  be  it  what  it  may,  to  which  thefe 
Corinthians   had  been  adjudged,  for  their  un- 
worthy   behaviour  at  the  Lord's  table,  is  here 
confidered,   by  the  apoftle   himfelf,  as  difapti* 
nary    only,    a   "divine  chaftening"  •,    and    as 
inflicted  too,  with  a  view  to  prevent  their  dam- 
nation  in  the  other  world.      It  is    impoffible 
therefore,  the   punifliment,  he   here  connecls 
with  this  unworthirrels,  mould  mean,   being  of 
the  medicinal  kind  only,  any   other  than  tem- 
poral  judgment.     In  a  word,    the  apoftle,  far 
from  giving  the  lead   countenance  to  the  fenfe 
of  the  word  Krima,  as  tranflated  "damnation", 
and  meaning  the  "damnation  of  hell",  has  faid 
that  which  is   obvioufly  and  abundantly  fuffici- 
ent  to  lead  every  intelligent  reader  to  under- 
ftand  by   it,  temporal  punijhment  ;   fuch  as  had 
been   inflicted   upon  fome  of  thefe  Corinthians, 
but   in  a  way  of  difcipline  only,  and  in  order  to 
prevent    their   damnation,  beyond  the   grave, 

with  the   wicked  world. 

It  will,  perhaps,  be  afked   here,   does   not 
Unworthy  eating  and  drinking   at  tlje  Lord's 


mentioned  and  conftdertd.  14^ 

Ubie  expofe  to  damnation  in  the  other  world  ? 
I  anfwer;  without  all  doubt  it  does.  And 
Jo  does  unworthy  hearing  of  God's  wcrd, 
unworthy  praying  to  our  father  who  is  in 
Heaven,  and  unworthy  performing  any  du- 
ly whatever  in  religion.  The  exact  truth  is* 
every  fin,  of  whatever  kind,  or  in  whatever 
degree,  whether  it  be  a  fin  of  omifiion,  or 
commiffion,  does  as  really  expofe  to  damnati- 
on, as  unworthy  eating  and  drinking  at  the* 
Lord's-Supper. 

But  this  notwithstanding,  future  damnati- 
on is  not  the  punifhment,  the  apofllc  more 
immediately  intends,  in  the  pafiage  we  are 
upon  ;  but,  as  has  been  faid,  temporal  evil* 
•which  he  explains  by  thefe  words,  "weaknef^ 
ficknefs,  and  the  deep  of  death"  :  Neither 
does  he  connect,  even,  this  temporal  judg- 
ment with  every  fort,  or  degree,  of  unworthy 
receiving  the  facrament  ;  but  with  thatgrofsly 
irreverent,  and  prophane  manner,  in  which  the 
Corinthians  received  it.  So  that  none  have 
any  juft  reafon  to  appty  that  fpecial  punifh- 
ment, here  fpoken  of,  be  it  what  it  may,  to 
themfelves,  unleis  they  can  charge  themfelves 
with  attending  on  the  ordinance  of  the  (up- 
per in  the  like  wicked  manner,  which  thefe 
Corinthians  did  ;  which  is  not  much  10  be 
feared  at  this  day.  Their  fcandalous  irregu- 
T  larities 


146  Religious  fears   and  fcruples 

larities,  efpecially  their  divifive,  intempe- 
rate manner  at  the  LordVSupper,  for  which 
God,  perhaps  beyond  the  ordinary  courfe  of 
nature,  ftnc  ficknefs  and  death  among  them, 
are  not  the  faults  we  are  in  preient  danger 
of  falling  into  the  commiffion  of.  Thoie,  to 
be  fure,  are  at  the  utmoft  diftance  frcm  this 
unworthinefs,  v/ho  come  not  to  the  facramental 
table  from  a  confciencious  fea-r,  left  they  fhould 
be  chargeable  with  it.  They,  of  all  perfons 
in  the  world,  have  the  lead  reafon  to  apply 
this  text  to  themfelves.  Their  cafe  as  widely 
differs  from  that  of  [theie  Corinthians,  as  light 
differs  from  darknefs.  ilnd  as  their  cafes  are 
thus  altogether  different,  it  is  quite  befide  the 
apoftle's  intention,  and  a  downright  abufe  of 
his  words,  to  perplex  their  minds,  and  dis- 
courage themfelves  from  duty,  in  confidera- 
tion  of  that,  which  is  no  ways  applicable  to 
them. 

I  may  not  improperly  fubjoin  a  few  words 
here,  in  order  to  undeceive  cbofe,  who  ground 
a  fear,  from  this  paffage  of  the  apoftle  we 
have  been  upon,  left  they  mould  be  certainly 
and  unavoidably  damned,  (hould  they  happen 
to  eat  and  drink  at  the  facramental  fupper, 
in  an  unwonhy  manner.  This,  I  have  reafon 
to  think,  has  given  perplexing  uneafinefs  to 
fome     ferious    fouls,    rcflraining  them   from 

remembering 


mentioned  and  conftdcreL  i\j 

remembering  (Thrift  in  the  way  of  his  appoint- 
ment.    But  they  have  herein  grofsly  impofed 
upon   themfelves.     S  lould  it  be  fuppofed,  that 
the  apoftlc  was  fpeaking,  in  this  text,  of  dam- 
nation in  the  coming   world,   which   we  have 
feen   abundant  reafon  to  think   he  is   not,  he 
ought  by  no  means  to  be  underftood,  as  mean- 
ing, that  it  would  inevitably  prove  damnation 
to   a  perfon,  fhould  he   come  to  the  table  of 
the   Lord,  and  eat  and   drink  there  in  an  un- 
worthy manner.     For  the  gofpel  of  the  bleiTed 
God  has  provided,  through   Chrift,  and  promi- 
fed,    pardoning    mercy    to  repenting   finners, 
however  many,  or  heinous,  their  fins  may  have 
been.    Unworthily  receiving  the  facrament  may 
tiierefore,  in    common   with  all  other   unwor- 
thinefs,   be    forgiven    by    the    intervention  of 
repentance,    and    fo  damnation   be  prevented. 
Should  a  perfon  unhappily  come  to  the  fupper 
of  the   Lord,   fo    as  to  be  an    unworthy    gueft 
there,   through  negligence,  carelefsnefs,  or  any 
other  faulty  caufe,    he  might,  by  the  grace  of 
God, be  brojght  to  repentance  •,  and  this  would 
as  certainly  fecure  him  from  damnation,  as  it 
is  true,  that  God  is    *  ready  to  pardon",  and 
embrace    penitent    finners    in  the  arms  of  his 
mercy.      Without  all  doubt,    many  are  now 
in    heaven,  and    many  will,  in   time  to  come, 
have  ad  niffion   into  this  bleffed    place,    who 

have 


148  Religious  fears  and  fcruples 

have  often  been  at  the  facramental  table  in 
an  unworthy  manner :  not  becaufe  it  was  not 
their  firt  5  but  becaufe,  by  repentance,  they 
obtained   the  forgiving    mercy  of  God. 

I  have  now  particularly,  though  as  briefly 
as  I  well  could,  explained  thole  words  of  the 
apoftle  Paul,  which  have  been  the  occafion 
of  fears  and  fcruples  in  the  minds  of  many, 
with  refpcd  to  their  attendance  on  the  inftitu- 
tion  of  the  fuppcr,  and  retrained  them  from 
coming  to  it.     It  only  remains,  as  was  propofed, 

II.  To  make  a  few  remarks,  upon  what  has 
been  offered,  tending  to  remove  away  thefe 
fears  and  fcruples,  and  make  the  way  of  thole 
clear  to  the  table  of  the  Lord,  who  have  been 
kept  from  it,  by   the  influence  of  them.    And, 

1.  It  is  obvious  to  coilecl,.  from  the  expla^ 
nation  we  have  given  of  the  apoftle's  words, 
which  have  been  ihc  occaflon  of  perplexity  to 
too  many,  that  their  fears  and  diitreffes,  ta- 
king rife  therefrom,  are    altogether  ground  lefs, 

Are  any  of  you  afraid  to  come  to  the  facra- 
mental fupper,  left  you  fliould  "  eat  and  drink 
unworthily*'  ?  There  is  no  reafon  for  fear,  left 
you  mould  come  unworthily  in  the  fenfe,  in 
which  this  fault  is  charged  upon  the  Corin- 
thians. It  is  indeed  morally  impoffible,  that 
peribns,  in  your  ferious,  concerned  ftate  of 
mind,  fhculd   come    in  that   grofsly   indecent 

manner, 


mentioned  and   conjidered.  149 

manner,   which    gave   occafion   to   the  words, 
which  have  been  perplexing  to  you.     However, 
'tis  commendable    in  you,  as    there  are    other 
ways,  in  which  you  may  eat,  and  drink  unwor- 
thily at   the  Lord's   table,   to  be  fo   far  afraid 
as  to  ufe  all  due  cauticn,   that   you   may    be 
welcome  guelts  there.     This  is  the  only  reafon- 
able  operation  of  fear,  refpedYng  this  article  of 
duty.     It   ought  not  to  ke^p   you  from    com- 
munion at  the  facrarnental  fupper  ;  but  mould 
rather    put  you    upon   your    guard,   and   fuch 
endeavours  as  may  be  proper  in    order  to  your 
avoiding   that,    which  is    the  ground  of  your 
fear.     Should  your  fear  reftrain  you  from  your 
duty,   its  operation  would  be  faulty.     It  would 
not,  in    confillency  with  what  is  right  and  fit, 
anfwer  the  defign  of  its  excitement  in  you,  un- 
lefs  it  mould  prompt  you  to  your  duty,   and  to 
a  care  to  fee  that  it  be  well  done. 

Are  any  of  you  afraid,  if  you  mould  come 
to  the  lacramental  fupper,  that  you  mould  be 
"  guilty  of  the  body  and  blood  of  the  Lord"? 
You  cannot  be  thus  guilty,  unlefs  you  finfully 
eat  of  that  bread,  and  drink  of  that  cup,  which 
are  divinely  inftituted  figns  of  "  the  body  and 
blood  of  Chrift."  For  this  is  the  only  mean- 
ing that  can,  with  propriety,  or  truth,  be  ap- 
plied to  thele  words.  And  you  do  well  to  be 
afraid  ot  fin>  whether  ic  relates  to  the  or- 
dinance 


I^o  Religious  feats  and  fcrupks 

dinance  of  the  fupper,  or   any  other  fervice  of 
piety.     Only,  you    fhould  remember,   and  im~ 
prefs   your    minds    with  a  ferious    fenfe   of  its 
being  true,  that  this  very  fear  of  your's    will 
become  fmful,   if,  inftead    of  ftirring  you    up 
to    the    performance     of  duty,     and    a   due 
care  to   perform   it   in   a  fukable    manner,    it 
at   all    retrains  you  from  it  5    much  more,    if 
it  influences  you  to  an  habitual,  and  toral  neg- 
lect of  it.     You  fay,    you  fear   to  come  to  the 
fupper  of  the  Lord,  left  you  (hould  be  "guilty 
of  his  body  ana*   blood".     You    cannot   eafily 
be   thus    guilty,  in    the  fenfe,    in    which    the 
Corinthians  were.     There  is  no  danger  of  your 
ufing  the  facramental    bread  and    wine,    which 
represent  figuratively,  "  the  body  and  blood  of 
Chrift",  in  the  rude,  fa&ious,  prophane  manner 
they    did.     Any,  at  this  day,  would  be  afham- 
ed  of  fuch     conduct  :  Nor  need  you  be  afraid 
of  being  chargeable  with  the  guilt  of  it.     You 
may,    it  is    true,    be  faulty  in  the  ufe  of  rhe 
«'  bread  and  wine",  which  are  inftituted  fign$ 
of  the  "  body   and  blood  of  Chrift  ;   and  you 
may  reafonably   fear,  left  you   mould    be   thus 
faulty.     But   what   ought   to  be  the  effect  of 
this  fear  ?  Mod  certainly,  not  difobedience    to 
as  plain,   and    peremptory,   a     command   as 
any  in  the   bible  ;   but    caution,    watchfulnefs, 
and  circumfpecYion,  that  you  may  comply  with 
it,  in  the  beft  manner  you   can.  £&e 


mentioned    and  confidered*  151 

j 

Are  any  of  you  afraid  of  being  chargeable 
with  the  guilt  of  "  not  difcerning   the  Lord's 
body"  (hould  you    come  to  the  ordinance  of 
the  fupper  ?    You  muft  be    grofsly  ignorant,  if 
you   do  not  know,    that    there  is  a   great    and 
wide  difference  betwixt  facramental  and  common 
bread  and    wine.     And    the  way,   now  in  ufr* 
of  eating  and  drinking  facramental   bread   and 
wine,  is  io  different   from  that  in  which  it  was 
done   by  the  Corinthians,  when   thefe   words 
were  wrote,    *hat  it  cannot  be  fuppoied  you 
could  be  guilty  of  "not  difcerning  the  Lord's 
body",  in  the  fenfe  that  they  were  :■  For  which 
reafon,  a  fear  of  this  guilt,  in  the  minds  of  any, 
is  wholly  gfoundlefs.     Not  but  that  there  may 
be  fear,  andjuftly    too,    left   the    facramental 
bread  and    wine   (hould  not,  in  the  exercife  of 
faith,  be  difcriminated  from  that  which  is  cem- 
mony  ate  and  drank  in  a  manner  becoming  their 
confecfation  to   fo  folemn  a  ufe    as  that  of  re- 
membering  the    dying  love  of  Chrift.     But  it 
would    be  altogther  befide  the   proper  and  jufl 
tendency  of  this  fear,  to  keep  any  from  parta^ 
king  of  this  bread  and  wine.     Its  only  influ- 
ence fhoulci  be   to  difpofe,  and  engage  all    to 
a  due  aire  to  ear,  and  drink  of  them,  agreably 
to   the  nature,  and   end,  of  fo   lacrcd   an  in- 
flitution.  \ 

In  fine  here,  are  any  of  you  afraid  of  co- 
*  ming 


152  keUgious  fears  and  ftrupks 

fning  to  the  holy  fuppef,  left  you  fhould  "eat 
and  drink  damnation  to  your  felves  ?  Your 
fear,  fo  far  as  it  takes  rife  from  the  englifh  word, 
damnation,  has  no  juft  reafon  for  its  fupport. 
For,  it  is  not  exprefiive  of  what  the  apoftle 
Paul  means  by  the  greek  word  Krima,  he  here 
jjfes  ;  as  has,  I  truft,  been  already  made  abun-* 
dantly    to  appear. 

Not  but  that  "eating,  and  drinking  unwof* 
thily",  at  the  Lord's  table,  expofes  to  "damna- 
tion", meaning  by  it  damnation  to  wrath  in  the 
future  world;  and  you  may  reafonably  fear  fo 
eating  and  drinking  ,  as  to  render  yourfelves 
liable  to  this  awful  punifhment  :  Not  indeed 
becaufe  this  punifhment  is  the  fpecial  judgment 
intended  by  the  apoftle  ;  but  becaufe  it  is  the 
punifhment  elfewhere,  in  fcripture,  threatned 
againft  fin  in  general,  be  its  kind,  or  degree, 
what  it  may.  For  the  fame  reafon,  therefore, 
that  you  are  afraid  of  coming  to  the  Lord's- 
Supper,  left  by  doing  this  unworthily,  you 
fhould'ceat  and  drink  damnation  to  yourfelves", 
you  fhould  fear  left,  by  an  unworthy  negleR 
of  this  ordinance,  you  fhould  expofe  yourfelves 
to  this  fame  punifhment.  For  the  truth  is, 
there  is  as  real  danger  of  incurring  damnation 
by  a  neglect  of  this  inftance  of  duty,  as  by  an 
unworthy  performance  of  it.     You,  who  fear 

to  come  to  the  facramental  fupper,  left  you  ex- 
pofe 


mentioned  and  considered.  153 

p6fe  yourfelves  to  damnation,  while,  at  the 
fame  time,  you  have  no  fear  upon  your  minds* 
left,  by  the  neglect  of  this  facred  inftitution, 
you  fhould  as  juftly  make  yourfeiveS  liable  to 
rhe  fame  punimment,  would  do  well  ferioufly 
to  confider  this.  There  is  like  danger  in  both 
cafes  i  and  you  will  only  delude  yourfelves,  if 
you  think  to  avoid  the  danger  of  eating  and 
drinking  unworthily,  by  not  eatrng  and  drink- 
ing   at    ail. 

It  may,  perhaps,  be  faid  here,  the  apoftlc 
Paul  has  particularly  denounced  damnation 
again  ft  unw  or  thine  fs  at  the  Lord's- Supper., 
while  neither  he,  nor  any  of  the  facred  .pm- 
men,  have,  with  like  particularity,  pointed 
out  this  punimment,  in  cafe  of  not  coming  to  it. 
The  anfwer  is  obvious,-  and,  as  I  imagine, 
Entirely  fatkfactory.  The  apoftle5in  the  words 
referred  to,  is  fpeaking,  as  has  been  made  evi- 
dent, of  temporal  judgment,  and  inflicted  only 
with  a  falmary  view,  in  a  way  of  fatherly 
cbaftifemenc  $  not  of  damnation,  meaning  by 
it  punishment  beyond  the  grave  :  Nor  is  this 
kbd  of  punifhment  denounced  any  where,  in 
the  bible,  ugainft  unworthy  receiving  the  fa- 
cr'ament,  but  in  thofe  texts  which  denounce 
this  fame  wrath  againft  the  negkft  of  duty,  as 
well  as  the  unworthy  performance  of  it.  So 
that  a  difobedient  neglect  of  that  fupper  which 

U  5 


-1  - 


154  Religious  fears  en  I  females 

has  been  folemnly  appointed  by  Jefus  Chrifi% 
does  as  really  expofe  to  damnation,  as  an  un- 
due attendance  at  it.  Why  then  mould  any 
abftain  from  facramental  eating  and  drinking* 
through  fear,  left  they  mould  eat  and  drink  un- 
worthily ?  Sin  lies  at  the  door  in  either  cafe,  and 
danger  too.  And  it  is,  without  all  doubt, 
both  more/infill,  and  more  dangerous^  with  re- 
fpecl:  to  the  perfons  whole  fears  I  have  been' 
endeavouring  to  remove,  to  negkft  turning  to 
the  facramental  fupper,  than  to  come  to  it 
with  that  imagined  unw'ortbinefs  which  keeps 
them  from  it. 

2.  Another  remark  is  this,  that,  fhould 
any  have  unhappily  attended  the  ordinance  of 
the  fupper  in  an  unworthy  manner,  the  bed 
advice  to  them  is,  not  to  ceafe  from  attending 
their  duty  in  this  fpecial  inftance  \  but  to  take 
proper  care  to  perform  it  better  for  time  to 
come.  This  remark  naturally  arifes  from  the 
general  tenor  of  the  apoftle's  difcourie,  in  the 
chapter  we  have  been  confide  ring.  He  had 
been  blaming,  and  rebuking,  the  church  at 
Corinth  for  their  rude,  dilorderly,  and  prophane 
manner  of  celebrating  the  holy  fupper.  And 
what  does  he  hereupon  advife  them  to?  Does  he 
forbid  them  the  ufe  of  this  gofpel  ordinance  ? 
Does  he  fay  any  thing  tending  to  dilcourage 
them  from  going  again  to  it  ?   Not  a   word 

of 


mentioned  and  tonfidered,  155 

oir  this  nature  is  to  be  feenin  any  part  of  what 
he  has  wrote  to  them.  Far  from  this,  though 
they  had  come  to  the  fupper  of  the  Lord  with 
fuch  indecency,  and  irreverence,  as  are  not 
known  in  the  prefent  age,  he  fuppofes  it  to 
be  their  duty  (till  to  come  to  it  -,  and  what  he 
endeavours  is,  to  engage  them,  by  proper  ar- 
guments, to  reform  what  had  been  amils,  and 
to  attend  their  duty  in  a  fuitable  manner  in 
time  to  come.  Chriftian  profeiTors  would  aft 
wifely  in  taking  due  notice  of  the  apoftle's  care, 
tlvat  the  holy  fupper  might  not  be  neglected, 
and,  at  the  fame  time,  that  it  might  not  be  un- 
worthily celebrated.  Should  they  be  confci- 
ous,  that  they  have  waited  upon  Chrift  at  his 
table  in  an  unbecoming  manner,  they  mould 
not  be  difcouraged,  through  fear,  from  waiting 
upon  him  again  ;  but  mould  rather  be  excited 
to  give  the  more  earned  heed,  to  get  their  un- 
worthinefs  removed,  that  they  may  attend  their 
duty  conformably  to  the  will  of  their  Lord  for 

the    future. 

I  may  not  improperly    add  here,    if  any   of 

thofe  are  ferioufly  thoughtful  of  coming  to  the 
fupper  of  the  Lord,  who  have  never  as  yet  been 
there,  they  mould  not  be  difcouraged  from  their 
duty,  in  this  refpett,  by  the  influence  of  fear, 
left  they  mould  come  unworthily.  Their  fear 
mould   not  drive  them  away   from   this  ordi-? 

nance, 


15.6  Religious  fears  and  fcrupks 

nance,  but  rather  put  them  upon  the  ufe  of 
proper  pains,  that  they  may  come  in  a  worthy 
manner.  The  Corinthians  had  been  guilty  of 
fchifm,  rudeneis,  and  intemperance  in  their  ce- 
lebration of  the  facra mental  (upper  ;  and  yet, 
the  apoftle  does  not  advifethem  to  lay  afide  the 
ufe  of  this  ordinance,  but  to  take  care  to  come 
to  it,  for  the  future,  in  a  worthy  manner.  And 
this  is  the  beft  advife  that  can  be  given  chrifti- 
ans  at  this  day.  It  is  not  allowable  for  them 
to  treat  this  ordinance  with  constructive  con- 
tempt, by  abftaining  from  the  ufe  it  5  and  if 
they  are  afraid  of  coming  to  it  unworthily,  the 
effec-t  of  their  fear  mould  be?their  more  diligent 
endeavour  to  come  in  the  manner  they  would 
de-fire,  and  as  may  be  for  the  honor  of  their 
Lord. 

3.  Another     remark     ftiil  may   be,    that: 
it  ought  not  to  be  fuppofed,   that  the   apoftle 
Paul,  in  the  chapter  we  have  been  explaining, 
had  it  in  his  heart  to  difcourage  thofe    chrifti- 
ans,  from    an    attendance  at  the  facramental 
table,    who  difcourage    themfelves,  and  from 
what  he  has  (aid  too.     Lee  us   attend    a  little 
to   their   character,   more   efpecially  as    drawn 
from    the   ground    of    their   difcouragement. 
Why  are  they  kept  back  from    remembering 
their   Lord,    in    the  way  of  his  appointment  ? 
Is  18  not  becaufe  they  fear,  left  they  mould  not 

do 


mentioned    and  confidered.  157 

do  this  with  that  faith,  love,  humility,  and 
holy  reverence,  which  become  a  (acred  mUitu- 
tion  of  gofpel  worfhip  ?  Is  it  not  becaufe 
they  have  worthy  fentirnents  cf  Jefus  Chrill, 
who  has  appointed  the  facramental  iupper, 
and  would  willingly  be  communicants  at  it, 
but  that  they  have  fcruples  in  their  minds,  91 
to  their  fitnels  to  be  fo  ?  Is  it  not  becaufe  they 
are  jealous  ever  themfelves  with  a  Godly 
jealoufy,  jealous  of  the  honour  of  their  Lord, 
and  would  ferve  him  with  their  btft  ?  Is  it  not 
becaufe  they  are  heartily  defirous  of  pleafing 
Chrift,  and  are  afraid,  left  they  mould  fail  of 
doing  fo,  fhould  they  come  to  his   table  ? 

Can   it  now  be  imagined,  with  any  face  of 
reafon,  that  it  was  the  defign  of  the  apoftle,  by 
any  thing   he  has  faid,  in  this  chapter,   to  dif- 
courage  this  kind  of  perfons  from  giving  their 
prelence  at    the   facramental   iupper  ?    Could 
it  have  entered    his  heart  to   block  up   their 
way   to  the   table  of  the  Lord  ?  It  ought  not 
to  be  luppofed.     Surely,  if  he  did  not   difcou- 
rage  the  Cornthians  from  attending  this  ordi- 
nance, though  they  came  to  it  in  fuch  an  irreve- 
rent manner,  as  that  they  were  vifited  by  God, 
'for  tkis  very  cause,  with  "weaknefs,  fick- 
nefs  and  death, "he  could  never  intend  to  throw 
any  uifcouragement  in  the  way  of  the  perfons 
I   have   deicribed.      And  if  he  could    know 

how 


i  u  S  Religious  fears  and  fcrupks 

how  they  h*ve  mifconftrued  his  words,  and 
t  Jcen  occafion,  from  them,  to  neglect  the 
fupper  of  the  Lord,  he  would  fcarce  be  able, 
though  in  heaven,  to  refrain  from  grief.  And 
could  he  now  fpeak  to  them  from  the  excel- 
lent glory,  it  would  be  to  advife  them  forth- 
with to  lay  afide  their  fears  and  fcruples,  and 
honor  their  Lord  by  celebrating  the  memorial 
of  his  death. 

4.  The  laft  remark  is,  that  it  mould  be  the 
ferious  endeavor  of  all  to  come  worthily  to  the 
table  of  Chnft.  The  apoftle  Paul  aimed  main- 
ly at  this,  in  all  thai  he  faid  to  the  Corinthians, 
in  that  part  of  his  epiftle  to  them  we  have 
been  confidering.  To  this  end  he  fet  before 
them  their  faults,  and  gave  them  the  direcli- 
ons  proper,  in  order  to  their  rectifying  them, 
that  thy  might  come  to  the  fupper  Chrift  had 
appointed,  not  to  condemnation,  but  to  praife 
and  honor.  And  this  mould  be  the  care  aifo 
of  all,  who  profefs  themfelves  the  difciplcs  ok 
Jefus.  They  fhould  not  efteem  it  a  matter  of 
trifling  concern,  how  they  partake  of  the  fym- 
bois  of  their  Lord's  death,  but  mould  endeav- 
or to  do  it,  fo  as  to  glorify  Qod,  and  promote 
their  own   fpiritual    advantage. 

Many,  I  am  fenfible,  would  be  glad  to  come 
to  the  facramental  fupper  who  were  never 
there  -y    and  what  has  kept  them    back  is,  this 

matter 


mentioned  and   conjidered.  ijy 

natter  of  worthily  partaking  there.  Being 
convinced,  that  they  ought  to  come  worthily, 
they  are  reftrained  from  coming,  becaufe  they 
fear  they  (hall  not  be  able  thus  to  come. 
But  this  is  a  difficulty  that  will  as  truly  hold 
againft  all  the  other  duties  of  religion.  They 
ought  all  to  be  performed  in  a  worthy  man- 
ner ;  and  if  perfons  fhould  imagine  they  can- 
not thus  perform  them,  why  may  they  not  as 
reafonably  leave  them  all  undone,  as  this  of 
remembering  their  Savior  at  his  fupper  ?  Is 
this  right  ?  What  muft  be  the  effect  of  fuch 
conduct  but  a  total  difregard  to  all  the  fer- 
vices  of  piety  ?  The  exact  truth  is,  the  influ- 
ence of  fear,  refpecting  the  fupper  cf  the 
Lord  fhould  never  be,  to  keep  us  fom  it,  but 
to  excite  our  care  that  we  may  be  welcome 
guefts  at  this  goipel  feaft  -,  and  thus  we  fhall 
be,  if  the  fubjects  of  that  meetnefs,  which 
is  fuited  to  the  nature  and  defign  of  the  duty. 
And  this  meetnefs,  1  will  venture  to  fay,  thole 
are  certainly  poffclled  of,  who  are  mod  fenfible 
of  their  unworthinefs,  and  mod  fearful  left  they 
mould  difhonour  Chrift,  by  an  undue  attend- 
ance at  his  table.  With  refpect  to  perfons 
of  this  character,  there  is  no  danger  of  their 
ludely,  or  irreverently,  rufhing  upon  this 
ordinance.  They  are  the  men,  who  are  molt 
^concerned,  that  they  may   be  prepared  for  a 

due 


3f6o  Religious  feat s  and   fcruples 

due  approach  to  it  ;  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  they  ought  to? 
be  ranked  among  thole,  who  would  be  moft  welcome  to  it. 

1  have  now  laid  all  that  I  had  in  view  to  fay,  in  the 
choice  of  ihe  fubject  1  have  been  fo  long  upon.  I  have,  in 
as  plain  and  faithful  manner  as  I  could,  laid  before  you  the 
obligations  chriftians  are  under  to  celebrate  the  inftituted 
memorial  of  their  Lord's  dying  love.  1  have  been  particu- 
lar in  fpeaking  to  the  carelcfs  and  fecure  ;  the  luke- 
warm and  indifferent  ;  the  confeientious  and  careful,  in  re- 
gard of  their  attendance  on  the  other  inft'itutions  of  gofpel 
worfhip  i  and,  in  fine,  the  fcrupulous  and  fearful  :  endea- 
vouring to  conilder,  and  remove,  all  the  doubts,  difficulties 
and  fears,  which  have  kept  any  from  an  attendance  at  the 
table  of  Chrift,  fo  far,  at  leaft,  as  they  have  come  within 
reach  of  my  knowledge. 

What  will  be  theefFec~l  of  my  having  been  thus  large, 
and  full,  in  treating  upon  this  fpecial  article  of  chriftian  du- 
ty, is  known  to  God  only.     If  what  has  been  difcourfed 
may,  under  the  divine  blefling,  be  influential  upon  any  to  do 
honoF  to  their  Savior,  by  remembering  him   in  the   way  he 
has  prefcribed,  it  will  be  labor  fpent   to  good  purpofe.     It 
will  occafion  joy  of  heart  to  all  the  friends  of  Jefus ;   yea,  it 
will  be  pieafing  to  him,  who  loved  us, and  died  for  us  ;  yea, 
it  will  be  a  pleafure  to  that  God,  who  fo  loved  us,  even 
while  we  were  firmers,  as  to  give  his  only  begotten  Son   to; 
be  (lain  a  facrrfice  fo  atone  for  our  tranfgreflions.     But  if 
what  has  been  faid  fhould  prove  labor  in  vain,  as  being  fol- 
lowed with  no  good  effect,  ashavingno  influence  to  prevail 
upon  any  to  join' with  their   chriftian   fiiends  in  breaking-' 
of  that  bread,  which  is   the  fymbol  of  ChrifVs  broken  body, 
ft  will  be  remembered  another   day,  that  you  have  been' 
faithfully  entreated,  warned,   directed,  and  encouraged   to' 
the  practice  of  this  article  of  duty;    and  you  will   be  the 
more  inexcufable  on  this  account.     I  fhall  only  fay,  I  have 
delivered  my   foul,    and   have   done   it  faithfully  in   this 
instance,    however   defective  I  may  have  been  in  others. 
The  good  God  grant,  that  this  chriftian  point  of  practice, 
which  has  been  ferioufly  and  folemnlv  urged,  may  prove  a 
favor  of  life  unto  life  unto  many,  and  not  of  death  unto-" 
death — to  any  one  foul. 

FINIS, 


Arlington 

&irert 

(Sljurrl? 

SJibrarjj 

♦ 

*  • 

(gift  of 


m 


